Benvenue Medical, a developer of minimally invasive solutions for spine repair, has appointed two new members to its board of directors. Thomas M. Prescott, president and CEO of Align Technology and Thomas C. Wilder, president and CEO of Sequent Medical are both experienced in bringing medical technologies to the global marketplace. Investors in Benvenue Medical [...]

Russian state technology firm Rusnano is teaming up with a US venture fund, writes Reuters. Rusnano and life sciences technologies investor Domain Associates are planning to co-invest in about 20 US-based healthcare technology companies. Rusnano will invest up to $330 million and Domain’s venture capital funds and other investors will invest a like amount, according [...]

Carticept Medical Inc., a developer of treatments for cartilage injuries and osteoarthritis, has raised $10 million in financing led by existing investors Domain Associates, New Enterprise Associates and SonoSite Inc. The money is aimed at commercial launch of the company’s computer-controlled drug delivery system. In total, Carticept has raised $53 million from investors.

Molecular diagnostics company Aria Diagnostics has secured $52.7 million in Series C financing, the company announced Monday. Investors include Meritech Capital Partners, Venrock and Domain Associates. The company is developing cell-free DNA analysis technology for prenatal tests. The company is based in San Jose, Calif.

Protein therapeutics company aTyr Pharma has appointed R. Alan Ezekowitz to aTyr’s Therapeutic advisory board. Physician scientist Dr. Ezekowitz has led various research and development programs at Merck. The privately-held biotech company was founded by The Scripps Research Institute Professor Paul Schimmel and is backed by life sciences investors Alta Partners, Cardinal Partners, Domain Associates [...]

California-based IntegenX Inc., maker of DNA identification technology, raised a $40 million Series C round led by new investor Essex Woodlands. Domain Associates, QuestMark Partners, Greenspring Associates, Cross Creek Capital, RONAholdings LLC, Samsung Ventures, and strategic partner In-Q-Tel also participated in the funding. Joining the company’s Board of Directors are Ronald Eastman of Essex Woodlands and Ben Shapiro of QuestMark Partners, the statement said.

Sera Prognostics Inc., a company developing tests to diagnose preterm birth and other pregnancy complications, has raised $19.3 million from a slew of investors including InterWest Partners, Domain Associates, Catalyst Health Ventures, UpStart Life Sciences Capital and Osage University Partners. The Series A financing will help fund clinical trials and the commercial launch of its preterm birth diagnostic test.

Salix Pharmaceuticals said it would buy privately held Oceana Therapeutics for $300 million in cash to gain access to Oceana’s urology treatments, wrote Reuters. Oceana Therapeutics is backed by New Enterprise Associates, Domain Associates and Quaker Bioventures. (Reuters) – Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd said it would buy privately held Oceana Therapeutics for $300 million in cash [...]

Five-year-old Apnex Medical Inc. has raised $20 million in a third round of equity financing, according to an Oct. 3 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Apnex develops medical devices aimed at helping people with sleep apnea, and previously raised $30 million across two rounds of funding from Domain Associates, New Enterprise Associates, Polaris Venture Partners and investor and Apnex chairman Michael Berman.

In peHUB’s continuing series of slideshows on venture funds and fund performance, we’ve looked at funds through the lens of IRRs, annual commitment trends and cash returns. Here is another look at cash returns that is more troubling than becoming. We isolated the 39 venture capital funds in the University of California’s private equity portfolio [...]