BioMed X teams with J&J on inflammation, drug delivery research. Stem cell firm Calidi inks licensing deals with U. of Chicago, City of Hope and Northwestern. MD Anderson teams with Blueprint and Hummingbird.

Emerging Company Profile: This is the first human study for lead product candidate THOR-707 and for the company's Expanded Genetic Alphabet platform, starting with a recombinant IL-2 that's being tested in solid tumors.

Anthos premiers with $250m from Blackstone and cardiovascular disease assets and expertise from Novartis, while Maze brings in $191m for drugs that target gene modifiers. In public company financings, Sage raises $575m ahead of Zulresso approval decision.

Device therapies for atrial fibrillation (AF) have so far failed to result in compelling efficacy across all types of disease and patients. The rates of elimination of AF following a catheter ablation procedure range from 30% to 80% according to the type of patient and the definition of success. The question of why success rates aren’t yet sufficient after a great deal of investment is an area of active pursuit, and one that opens up the door for next-generation AF device companies seeking to improve upon the results achieved to date.