A team of Pillsbury lawyers led by special counsel Barry Burgdorf advised The Focus Fund GP LLC in its launch of an oncology-focused investment fund, The Cancer Focus Fund LP.

As a partnership with the world renowned University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Cancer Focus Fund held its initial closing at over $50 million in financial commitments. The fund will focus on supporting the advancement of investigational cancer therapies from late preclinical development through clinical trials. M.D. Anderson will design and host the clinical trials for the therapies that receive the FDA's Investigational New Drug (IND) approval. Ochsner Health and LSU Health Shreveport will serve as additional clinical trial sites for the Cancer Focus Fund's portfolio companies.

Pillsbury has represented The Focus Fund since its inception in 2017 through structuring, formation  and negotiation with fund partners and institutional investors including MD Anderson, the Rice University Endowment, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the Louisiana State University Health Shreveport Foundation, Louisiana-based hospital operator Ochsner Health and others. Pillsbury continues to represent the Cancer Focus Fund as it begins making investments in promising life sciences companies .

For more information about this transaction, click here.

In addition to Burgdorf and Strong, the Pillsbury team advising on the investment included counsel David Taylor and associate Ryan Brewer.