Yakult’s decision to pull an approval application for duvelisib in Japan came shortly after a FDA advisory committee said it would re-evaluate the safety and efficacy of the PI3K inhibitor four years since its approval. The developments cast a new shadow over Yakult’s already-suffering pharmaceutical business.

Aevi needs to raise funds first, but hopes to develop MEDI2338 for adult-onset Still’s disease. Also, Alnylam plans to leverage Ironwood’s GI expertise for givosiran in acute hepatic porphyria and Ultragenyx snags option to buy GeneTx.

Pascal and Oblato separately license therapeutic candidates for glioblastoma multiforme, while Cabaletta emerges from UPenn with novel program for CAAR-T therapies in B-cell mediated autoimmune disease.

Cipla expands on its in-licensing strategy in India with Lilly’s insulin glargine product, while Aptose signs second agreement with CrystalGenomics to add Chinese rights for leukemia candidate CG-806, and Yakult gains Japanese rights to Verastem's duvelisib.