Nanopharmaceutical researcher Cerulean has secured $15m to close a series D round which was partially funded by existing investor Eli Lilly.

US-based nanopharmacuetical company Cerulean Pharma closed its series D round on Thursday, having raised $15m from investors including Lilly Ventures, the corporate venturing fund operated by pharmaceutical conglomerate Eli Lilly.

Also investing in the round were CVF, an affiliate of investment firm Henry Crown & Company, and Ceruleans existing investors: venture capital firms Polaris Venture Partners, Venrock, Lux Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners, and real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities.

Cerulean, which has now raised $73m in funding…