Menlo raises $50M in series C round

Menlo Therapeutics Inc. (Menlo Park, Calif.) raised $50 million in a series C round led by venBio. Menlo said all of its existing investors, including Vivo Capital, Presidio Partners, Remeditex and F-Prime Capital, also participated, as did new investors Novo Holdings A/S (Hellerup, Denmark), Rock Springs Capital, Aisling Capital and Bay City Capital.

The company's lead candidate serlopitant (VPD-737) is a small molecule neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R; TACR1) antagonist. In 1H18, Menlo plans to start two Phase III trials of the product to treat pruritus associated with prurigo nodularis. Serlopitant is in a Phase II trial to treat atopic dermatitis-associated pruritus. This half, Menlo plans to start Phase II testing of the candidate to treat pruritus in psoriasis patients, as well as refractory chronic cough...