Merck Affiliate Is In -- At Next Round Of Funding -- For Daktari, In The Boston-Area

In the past year, Daktari's amended SEC Form D discloses that it has raised just under $20 million -- from 27 different investors (not just the $13 million in the below article), in a still-ongoing private placement. Backgrounder here.

We do think we know that in early 2012, Merck affiliated entities kicked in the vast bulk of $10 million -- and we are told that Merck has come in for some part of this latest round. Here is the local press report, of this afternoon:

. . . .Bill Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of the 55-employee company, said in an interview that the money will go to commercialize the company’s CD4 system, which is used to monitor white blood cell count in patients diagnosed with HIV. . . .

He said the company, which is housed in the building that formerly was home to Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in Porter Square, has grown significantly from just 25 employees a year ago to support the launch of the first product. Most of the 55 employees work in Cambridge. Tests for other diseases, such as malaria and tuberculosis, are in the works, he said. . .

In February, Daktari was one of several local companies to receive a tax incentive award from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. The $347,000 in tax breaks from the MLSC is contingent on the company adding 17 new jobs in the next year. . . .

The $13 million was disclosed in a filing with the Securities an Exchange Commission. It represents the closing of the company’s C round of funding, said Rodriguez, and lead investors were Merck’s Global Healthcare Innovation fund, Norwich Ventures and the Partners Innovation Fund. . . .

Just for those of you keeping score at home -- this is an HIV diagnostic play -- for the future, and primarily in the still-developing world.