VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc (SAN DIEGO, California), a biopharmaceutical company focusing on innate immunity and the development of novel medicines for the treatment of autoimmune, respiratory, and infectious diseases and cancer, announced the closing of a $26.6 million Series A financing agreement, led by Frazier Healthcare Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, and Domain Associates. This financing, coupled with the initial seed investment of $2.3 million, brings the total funds raised to $28.9 million. The company expects to use the funds to build a portfolio of product candidates with an initial focus on small-molecule therapeutics targeting toll-like receptors (TLRs).

VentiRx was founded in June 2006 by Michael Kamdar, former senior vice president of corporate development and finance at Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc, and Robert Hershberg, MD, PhD, former senior vice president and chief medical officer at Dendreon Corporation, as well as by Frazier Healthcare and ARCH Venture Partners.

—A. Techman

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