Novo Nordisk’s head of global drug discovery tells Scrip he hopes the strategic collaboration with Dicerna Pharmaceuticals will generate clinical candidates within three years.

The deal, which includes up to $1bn for milestones, gives Roche Promedior’s PRM-151, a Phase III-ready asset for IPF that has also completed a Phase II study in myelofibrosis and could be effective in a broad range of fibrotic diseases.

UK pharma giant’s head, International tells Scrip expanded alliance with diversified Japan group will develop solutions across the patient journey, while new China investments aim to tap into emerging innovation in this market.

Allergan has tried to go after alopecia in the past; Exicure brings a new spherical nucleic acid (SNA) technology. In other recent deals, AstraZeneca sells Seroquel, Losec rights to Germany’s Cheplapharm.

The deal worth up to $576m gives Merck what Calporta founding investor Avalon believes is the most advanced program targeting TRPML1, a lysosomal ion channel implicated in neurodegenerative diseases when the lysosome stops clearing debris from cells.

Novartis thinks tropifexor may prove to be best-in-class FXR agonist, while Pfizer notes the complementary activity of its ACC and DGAT2 inhibitors. Their NASH trial collaboration is heading toward a Phase II launch in 2020.

Lupin plans to invest in acquisitions and organic growth in the US and India after selling Japanese subsidiary Kyowa Pharma for an enterprise value of around $525m to Japan private equity group Unison Capital. But the Indian firm stresses it is not exiting Japan and will continue to look for marketing partnerships.

Former Medivation CEO David Hung launched stealthy oncology start-up Nuvation with $275m in series A venture capital, while Tenaya's series B brought in $92m for small molecules as well as cell and gene therapies to treat cardiovascular diseases.