Genocea, Biocept price IPOs

Infectious disease company Genocea Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GNCA) and cancer diagnostic company Biocept Inc. (NASDAQ:BIOC) both raised money in IPOs at the low end of their proposed ranges on Wednesday. Genocea raised $66 million through the sale of 5.5 million shares at $12, which values the company at $206.6 million. Last month, Genocea said it planned to sell 5.5 million shares at $12-$14. Citigroup; Cowen; Stifel; and Needham are underwriters. Genocea's GEN-003 is in a Phase I/IIa trial to treat herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection, with Phase II testing slated to start mid-year. GEN-003 is a T cell vaccine consisting of the infected cell polypeptide 4 (ICP4) and gD2 antigens from HSV-2 combined with the saponin-derivative adjuvant Matrix M.

Biocept raised $19 million through the sale of 1.9 million shares at $10, which values the company at $44.3 million. In November, Biocept said it planned to sell 1.8 million shares at $10-$12. Aegis Capital; Feltl; and MLV are underwriters. Biocept markets its OncoCEE-BR breast cancer test to detect and analyze circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood from breast cancer patients and to assess HER2 status in CTCs using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). ...