Sanofi Aventis-backed biopharmaceutical company Regulus Therapeutics is prepping for an IPO.
The San Diego-based company has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to list on Nasdaq with the ticker symbol RGLS. Acting as joint book-runners are Lazard Capital Markets, Cowen & Co. and BMO Capital Markets. Needham & Company and Wedbush PacGrow Life Sciences are co-managers.
The company’s principal stockholders are parent companies Alnylam Pharamaceuticals and Isis Pharmaceuticals, which own 44.1% and 45.2% of the company, respectively. Sanofi Aventis also holds a 9% stake.
The number of shares offered and the price range have not yet been disclosed.
Regulus posted $13.8m in revenues and $7.6m in losses last year. To date, the company has raised $10m in venture funding in a single venture round with Sanofi Aventis as the single participant.
The Alnylam and Isis spin-off has recently built several pharma alliances ahead of its IPO. Regulus received $28m in equity and an upfront fee from pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca earlier this month as part of a research agreement. Simultaneously, Regulus announced a similar deal with Biogen Idec for an undisclosed amount.
In October 2010, Regulus attracted a $750m microRNA discovery and development deal with Sanofi Aventis. It received $25m upfront and the afore-mentioned $10m venture investment, with an option for a wider R&D alliance worth $50m.
Regulus previously signed a strategic alliance with pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline in April 2008, where it received $20m in upfront payment and had the potential to make up to nearly $600m in option, licence, and milestone payments.