Aug. 25 Quick Takes: Radiopharma company Aktis tops off series A

Aktis Oncology Inc. topped off its March 2021 series A round of $72 million with an $84 million extension, funds the company will use to develop its α-emitting radiopharmaceuticals to treat solid tumors. New investors included Cowen Healthcare Investments, MRL Ventures Fund, Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK), ArrowMark Partners, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Timefolio Capital and Pappas Capital. All the company’s existing investors also participated: MPM Capital, Vida Ventures, EcoR1 Capital, Octagon Capital, TCG Crossover, Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY) and Novartis AG (SIX:NOVN; NYSE:NVS). Aktis has raised $161 million to date.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Tokyo:4502; NYSE:TAK) received approval from the Indonesia National Agency for Drug and Food Control, Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan, for its QDENGA (TAK-003) to prevent dengue disease caused by any serotype in people aged six to 45 years. The authorization is the vaccine’s first in the world, according to the company. QDENGA, which showed vaccine efficacy of 80.2% at 12-months follow-up in the Phase III TIDES trial, is also under review in the EU and in dengue-endemic countries outside the EU through the EU-M4all pathway...