With Intarcia's request, the rarely used mechanism could now produce two hearings this year, but outcomes of the few other times the process has been undertaken should not generate a lot of confidence for sponsors that this a path that they want to go down.

Stock-and-cash deal valued at $229m brings AzurRx rights to niclosamide in additional indications. Boehringer Ingelheim partners with Twist on therapeutic antibody discovery.

CureVac starts mRNA vaccine trial, Interprotein uses AI in drug discovery and South Korea's Chong Kun and Hanmi make clinical progress.

Private Company Edition: Kymera said it will take up to three programs into the clinic by next year. Also, three new life science funds recently launched, including a Gates Foundation-backed accelerator for COVID-19 treatments, and Cell Medica reemerges as Kuur with new funding for CAR-NKT therapies.