Licensing deals and partnerships carried the day during another hectic J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. Pfizer racked up its third deal of the week in a cancer collaboration with Dren Bio.

No big buyouts were revealed during the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference for a third year in a row. Big pharma firms are in acquisition mode, but execs stress desire for easy integrations and scientific alliances. 

The $300m upfront payment should provide considerable runway for the base-editing company, which also plans multiple IND filings and enrolling the first patient in its sickle cell study this year.

Despite no mega-deals (yet), the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference’s first day brings the usual flurry of deals, including a pair of tie-ups each for Bristol and Pfizer. BioNTech moves into cancer with Crescendo.