Evotec’s multimodality approach to drug discovery landed the biotech two new discovery collaborations this week, underscoring its emphasis on patient-driven data.

Novo Nordisk and Evotec will identify and develop novel drugs for treating chronic kidney disease, using datasets of CKD patients provided by the Danish group and from other sources.

Sanofi is paying for $3.68bn cash for Principia to get the US biotech’s drug development platform and nascent pipeline, including a brain-penetrant BTK inhibitor in Phase III for multiple sclerosis.

Norwegian biotech Lytix says a licensing deal with Verrica in dermatologic oncology indications gives it commercial validity – and leaves options open in other cancer areas.

A $60.8m financing round gives F2G the resources to develop what it hopes will be the first new antifungal in a new class in two decades.

Created when BetterLife bought Altum at end-July, the merged entity will now focus on advancing the acquired group’s lead asset, an inhaled form of its patented interferon a2b product, as an early treatment for COVID-19.