Biogen has warned that uptake for its newly approved Alzheimer’s therapy will be slow in the beginning and doctors confirm it will take time to figure which patients can and should be treated.

A $70m fund will back prior investments, while a $430m fund will launch new biotech firms. Harper and Seidenberg tapped into their Amgen connections for the CEO who helms new company Acelyrin.

In a busy month, MD Anderson also partners with Ipsen on an unspecified cancer drug and licenses poziotinib IP to Spectrum. Using IP from UCLA, Bloom launches with focus on neuroprotective epilepsy therapies.

Amgen has negotiated 75 value-based contracts – agreements that SVP Josh Ofman sees as one area where biopharma and payer views are aligned. However, tension between the two sides remains high in pricing and reimbursement negotiations when it comes to rebates and other issues.