Takeda is investing in newly launched serious liver disease company Ambys Medicines to support the advancement of the US venture’s platform and pipeline, in line with its core strategic therapeutic priorities.

Takeda has spun off into a new joint investment fund selected drug discovery operations in Japan that had been shifted to the new Axcelead business last year, further honing its focus ahead of the Shire acquisition and in a move to foster a more effective early-stage ecosystem in the country.

Ascletis was the first with a new listing under new Hong Kong rules, but BeiGene also sold shares on the HKEX; the companies raised more than $1bn combined. Also, TherapeuticsMD sold stock in the US to commercialize Imvexxy, Curon raised the latest $150m VC mega-round, and NewLink cut jobs in R&D refocus.

Building on its national expertise in the area, Japan is starting the first clinical trial globally to assess the use of iPS-derived cells for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

Takeda and Shire are already discussing their planned integration across multiple areas, but until the deal closes formally the Japanese firm stresses it is business as usual, as it reports solid underlying growth in the fiscal first quarter, driven by core products.

Chugai is investing in new R&D infrastructure and exploring disruptive technologies as part of a strategic push to build its global drug discovery capabilities.