Christian Plaza

Cooley advised PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on its $46 million initial public offering of 9,200,000 shares of common stock. The underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase an additional 1,380,000 shares. Partners Darren DeStefano and Christian Plaza led the Cooley team advising PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals.

Citigroup, Cowen and Stifel acted as the joint-book-running managers for the offering. Needham & Company acted as co-manager for the offering.

PhaseBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapies for the treatment of serious orphan diseases, with an initial focus on cardiopulmonary disorders. The company’s shares now trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “PHAS.”

Cooley advised Entasis Therapeutics on its $75 million initial public offering of 5,000,000 shares of common stock. Partners Christian Plaza, Brent Siler and Brian Leaf led the Cooley team advising Entasis.

Credit Suisse and BMO Capital Markets acted as joint book-running managers for the offering. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey and Wedbush Securities acted as co-managers.

Entasis Therapeutics, which now trades on the Nasdaq Global Market as “ETTX,” is developing a portfolio of innovative product candidates to treat serious gram-negative multi-drug resistant bacterial infections.

Cooley advised Autolus Therapeutics on its $172.5 million initial public offering of 10,147,059 American Depositary Shares, which includes the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares.

Cooley advised global biopharmaceutical company Sucampo on its acquisition by Mallinckrodt in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.2 billion. The transaction will allow for the continued production of Sucampo’s leading global product for treating constipation, Amitiza, and also fuel the development of two phase 3 pharmaceuticals to treat rare diseases Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP). Barbara Borden, partner and co-chair of Cooley’s M&A practice, and partner Christian Plaza, led the team advising Sucampo on its sale.

Cooley is advising Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals on its sale to Bristol-Myers Squibb. Under the terms of the agreement, BMS will acquire all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Cardioxyl for upfront and near-term milestone payments of up to $300 million and potential additional milestone payments of up to $1.78 billion. The transaction is expected to close before year end.

The acquisition strengthens BMS's focus on heart failure and gives the company full rights to Cardioxyl's CXL-1427, a novel drug that releases nitroxyl – a molecule that has demonstrated positive effects on heart muscle and vascular function. The drug is in development for acute decompensated heart failure.

Cardioxyl, based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is a privately held, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of new classes of safe and effective therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.