Healthcare venture capital executive Paul LaViolette warns that an “inefficient and unpredictable regulatory system” at the Food & Drug Administration should have government officials worrying “more about losing firms to Costa Rica than California. One of LaViolette’s killer statistics: three-quarters of the cost to bring new innovative medical devices to market in the United States is in dealing with regulatory issues.

SV Life Sciences has raised the year’s second-largest life sciences fund thus far, exceeding its targeted amount to close with $523 million in commitments.The firm had originally planned to raise $400 million, but attributed its fundraising success in today’s “challenging environment” to its past success, according to a statement.SV’s fundraise represents the second-largest of the [...]

Contract drug development organization Ricerca Biosciences LLC has agreed to acquire the discovery and preclinical business of MDS Pharma Services for $35 million less working capital and cap-ex reserve.