Ceptaris Secures $15M in Venture Debt Financing

MALVERN, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Ceptaris Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company, today secured $15 million in venture debt financing from Silicon Valley Bank and Oxford Finance.
The New Drug Application (NDA) for Ceptaris’ drug candidate, mechlorethamine gel, is currently undergoing review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of early stage (stages I-IIA) mycosis fungoides, a type of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL).
Ceptaris received $7.5 million at closing and has access to the remaining $7.5 million if the NDA is approved by the FDA. The funding will be used for ongoing operational expenses and preparation for commercialization of its investigational drug, mechlorethamine gel. Ceptaris’ primary venture capital investors include Vivo Ventures, Palo Alto Investors, Burrill & Company, Osage Ventures, Aperture Venture Partners, and BioAdvance.
“We are very pleased with our venture debt relationships with both SVB and Oxford and the additional capital it provides Ceptaris for pre- and post-launch activities,” said Stephen Tullman, President and CEO at Ceptaris. “Management has worked with both lending institutions in prior companies, including Ception Therapeutics and Vicept Therapeutics, and we look forward to continuing these relationships.”
About Ceptaris Therapeutics
Ceptaris Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately held, specialty pharmaceutical company that is developing a proprietary gel formulation of mechlorethamine hydrochloride for the treatment of early stage (stages I-IIA) mycosis fungoides, a type of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL). If approved, Ceptaris’ investigational drug would be the first topical mechlorethamine product available to treat the signs and symptoms of this rare cancer. Please visit www.ceptaris.com for more information.
About Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank is the premier commercial bank for companies in the technology, life science, cleantech, venture capital, private equity and premium wine industries. SVB provides a comprehensive suite of financing solutions, treasury management, corporate investment and international banking services to its clients worldwide. Through its focus on specialized markets and extensive knowledge of the people and business issues driving them, Silicon Valley Bank provides a level of service and partnership that measurably impacts its clients’ success. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company serves clients around the world through 26 U.S. offices and international operations in China, India, Israel and the United Kingdom. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of global financial services firm SVB Financial Group (Nasdaq: SIVB – News), with SVB Analytics, SVB Capital and SVB Private Bank. More information on the company can be found at www.svb.com.
About Oxford Finance
Oxford Finance is a specialty finance firm providing senior secured loans to public and private life sciences and healthcare services companies worldwide. For over 20 years, Oxford has delivered flexible financing solutions to its clients, enabling these companies to maximize their equity by leveraging their assets. In recent years, Oxford has originated over $1.5 billion in loans, with lines of credit ranging from $500 thousand to $50 million. Oxford is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, with additional offices in California, Illinois, Massachusetts and North Carolina. For more information visit http://www.oxfordfinance.com/.
http://tourism9.cm/    http://vkins.com/

Blackstone to make major investments in Israel

The Blackstone Group LP (NYSE: BX) will reportedly invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Israel, through a joint venture that it will set up with Markstone Capital Partners Group LLC. Markstone, headed by managing directors Ron Lubash and Amir Kess, will apparently become Blackstone’s exclusive representative in Israel. Markstone will seek Israeli companies in which the two private equity funds will invest.
The deal will be closed in a few weeks. Markstone has declined to respond to the report.
Blackstone, with $166.2 billion in assets under management, is the world’s largest private equity fund, larger than Apax Partners, which has invested billions of shekels in Israel, including the acquisition of the controlling interests in Tnuva Food Industries Ltd. and Psagot Investment House Ltd.
New York-based Blackstone was founded by CEO Stephen Schwarzman in 1985. It has a market cap of $7.66 billion, and posted a net profit of $1.4 billion in 2011.
Markstone has had a mixed track record with its investments in Israel. It founded Prisma Investment House, which went bankrupt. Its investments in Elran (DD) Real Estate Ltd. (TASE:ELRE) and Tomcar Ltd., which developed a commercial off-road utility vehicle, both failed. Successful exits on investments include Golden Pages Ltd., improved seed varieties developer Zeraim Gedera Ltd., and Netafim Ltd.
Markstone raised $800 million in 2003-04 from institutional investors, including California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and New York State Pension Fund in the US, and Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd. (TASE: CLIS) and Menorah Mivtachim Holdings Ltd. (TASE: MORA) in Israel. Markstone chairman Elliot Broidy resigned after a plea bargain for bribery in the US. In September 2010, Markstone reached a settlement with then-New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, in which the Israeli private equity fund paid $18 million.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com – on February 19, 2012
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2012http://tourism9.cm/    http://vkins.com/

Update: Travel & Adventure Show Explores New Territory for 2012

ROSEMONT, IL–(Marketwire -12/29/11)- The nation’s largest travel and adventure show returns to Chicago January 28-29 for its eighth consecutive year with new additions and returning favorites. Between well-known travel experts, adventurous activities, more than 120 world-class destinations on exhibit and non-stop cultural music and dance performances, guests will uncover unlimited inspiration and information to plan their next vacation.
New additions this year include appearances by travel insiders like Samantha Brown (host of multiple shows on The Travel Channel), Patricia Schultz (author of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die) and Marc Peyser (editor at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine.) Travel Agency Partner AAA Chicago will be featuring seminars on personalized African safari tours, guided European vacations and cruising at the AAA Travel Theater. Also debuting is an audience “cook-off” hosted by Chicago native and Travel Channel star Mark DeCarlo, with the winner receiving a vacation to the Mexican Yucatan. Crowd favorites return, such as free scuba diving and rock wall climbing, along with non-stop music and dance and more than 120 exhibits of amazing destinations from every continent.
“Whether it’s a short weekend getaway to Wisconsin or traveling to Tanzania next summer, the Travel & Adventure Show brings together an amazing array of travel ideas and expert advice,” said John Golicz, CEO for Unicomm, which produces the event in five cities nationally. “Chicago is always one of our largest events, and we’re looking forward to bringing great information and entertainment to our guests.”
Must-see stops on your itinerary at the show include:

• Domestic and International Exhibitors — Representatives from Africa, Asia, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, India, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, the Philippines, Turkey and the South Pacific join domestic destinations from Alaska to West Virginia. Tour operators who can give you expert advice on countless other locales will also be on-hand. “Computer research is one thing, but there’s nothing like talking to someone face-to-face who has been where you want to go,” said Golicz.
• Fiery Foods Challenge — Local chefs representing some of the destinations you’ll find at the show will be on hand to cook traditional “hot” dishes. Audience members will sample these spicy creations and vote for their favorites, as well as take home the recipes to try them at home.
• Mark DeCarlo Interactive Cooking Class and Competition — The host of the Travel Channel show “Taste of America” and author of “A Fork In The Road” will select three lucky audience members at random to recreate a dish of Mark’s choosing — right on the spot. The winner (chosen by the audience) will win an all-inclusive Yucatan vacation!
• Scuba Do! — Scuba diving in the world’s largest mobile scuba diving pool (no matter HOW cold it is outside, this pool — all 15,000 gallons of it! — is a toasty 72 degrees, mimicking the temperatures of Bonaire in the Caribbean.) All equipment is provided, even hair dryers.
• Global Beats Stage — musical and dance performances will transport you to an exotic destination, running non-stop throughout the show

The Travel & Adventure Show opens Saturday, January 28, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, January 29, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. (The show opens 9:30 a.m. Saturday for travel professionals.) Adult admission is $9 online with Promo Code: CHPR or $15 at the door. Children 16 year of age and under are free.
The Travel and Adventure Show is the longest-running series of consumer travel events in the U.S., with shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas and Washington D.C. The national magazine sponsor is Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. For more information on attending or exhibiting in the event, please visit www.adventureexpo.com/Chicago or call 203-878-2577 x100.

This article is from http://tourism9.com/ 

Travel & Adventure Show Explores New Territory for 2012

ROSEMONT, IL–(Marketwire -12/29/11)- The nation’s largest travel and adventure show returns to Chicago January 28-29 for its eighth consecutive year with new additions and returning favorites. Between well-known travel experts, adventurous activities, more than 120 world-class destinations on exhibit and non-stop cultural music and dance performances, guests will uncover unlimited inspiration and information to plan their next vacation.
New additions this year include appearances by travel insiders like Samantha Brown (host of multiple shows on The Travel Channel), Patricia Schultz (author of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die) and Marc Peyser (editor at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine.) Also debuting is an audience “cook-off” hosted by Chicago native and Travel Channel star Mark DeCarlo, with the winner receiving a vacation to the Mexican Yucatan. Crowd favorites return, such as free scuba diving and rock wall climbing, along with non-stop music and dance and more than 120 exhibits of amazing destinations from every continent.
“Whether it’s a short weekend getaway to Wisconsin or traveling to Tanzania next summer, the Travel & Adventure Show brings together an amazing array of travel ideas and expert advice,” said John Golicz, CEO for Unicomm, which produces the event in five cities nationally. “Chicago is always one of our largest events, and we’re looking forward to bringing great information and entertainment to our guests.”
Must-see stops on your itinerary at the show include:

• Domestic and International Exhibitors – Representatives from Africa, Asia, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, India, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, the Philippines, Turkey and the South Pacific join domestic destinations from Alaska to West Virginia. Tour operators who can give you expert advice on countless other locales will also be on-hand. “Computer research is one thing, but there’s nothing like talking to someone face-to-face who has been where you want to go,” said Golicz.

• Fiery Foods Challenge – Local chefs representing some of the destinations you’ll find at the show will be on hand to cook traditional “hot” dishes. Audience members will sample these spicy creations and vote for their favorites, as well as take home the recipes to try them at home.

• Mark DeCarlo Interactive Cooking Class and Competition – The host of the Travel Channel show “Taste of America” and author of “A Fork In The Road” will select three lucky audience members at random to recreate a dish of Mark’s choosing – right on the spot. The winner (chosen by the audience) will win an all-inclusive Yucatan vacation!

• Scuba Do! – Scuba diving in the world’s largest mobile scuba diving pool (no matter HOW cold it is outside, this pool – all 15,000 gallons of it! — is a toasty 72 degrees, mimicking the temperatures of Bonaire in the Caribbean.) All equipment is provided, even hair dryers.

• Global Beats Stage – musical and dance performances will transport you to an exotic destination, running non-stop throughout the show

The Travel & Adventure Show opens Saturday, January 28, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, January 29, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. (The show opens 9:30 a.m. Saturday for travel professionals.) Adult admission is $9 online with Promo Code: CHPR or $15 at the door. Children 16 year of age and under are free.
The Travel and Adventure Show is the longest-running series of consumer travel events in the U.S., with shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas and Washington D.C. The national magazine sponsor is Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. For more information on attending or exhibiting in the event, please visit www.adventureexpo.com/Chicago or call 203-878-2577 x100.
Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1842618

This article is from http://tourism9.com/