Sept. 2 Quick Takes: Taysha files for IPO; plus DCVC’s Barclay joins Cohen’s Point72, Erasca, Deep Longevity and more
Taysha joins IPO queue four months after spinout
Taysha Gene Therapies Inc. proposed to raise up to $100 million in a NASDAQ IPO. Founded in partnership with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, the company is developing a pipeline of 18 gene therapies for CNS disorders. Taysha raised a $95 million crossover round last month. Its management team includes several former AveXis Inc. executives; Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN) acquired that gene therapy company (see “Applying AAV9 Across the CNS”).
Barclay to lead push into life sciences by Cohen’s VC firm
Scott Barclay will lead the newly launched healthcare investment team of Point72 Ventures, the venture arm of Steven Cohen’s Point72. Barclay joins the firm from Data Collective Venture Capital (DCVC), where he created and led the computational care team. Point72 Ventures, which has invested in more than 50 financial services, AI and enterprise tech companies since its founding in 2016, will invest globally in early-stage life sciences companies. ...