Continuing parent firm Gilead’s busy deal-making year in immuno-oncology, Kite gets option rights to new targets. Boehringer teams with Israel’s BiomX in IBD research.

The US firm is getting its hands on eight programs from two of the world's leading drug makers, seeing an opportunity in areas such as antibiotics where solutions may be more likely to come from biotech rather than big pharma.

With their first collaboration producing the potential blockbuster Praluent and other near-market medicines, Sanofi and Regeneron are likely hoping they can repeat the trick with a new $2bn-deal covering immune-oncology.