Big bet on Biocartis

The third-largest European venture round of the year has gone to Swiss diagnostic systems provider Biocartis S.A., which raised €71 million ($97.5 million) in a series C round last week.

Almost $250 million in life sciences venture investments was disclosed last week, bringing the 2011 total to $4.9 billion, already surpassing the $4.8 billion raised in all of 2010. That's despite the ongoing decline in the number of active life sciences venture capital investors, which has slipped 26% since 2005 (see BioCentury, Nov. 14)...