Zealand Pharma’s recently installed CEO says it is building US operations to prepare for four potential approvals there in 2020, with commercial launches starting in 2021, its first ever.

Gilead partners with Glympse to optimize NASH trials, while Ironwood will work with Pear on digital therapies for GI disorders. An alliance between Leo and Ubiquigent yields an option agreement around two novel compounds.

Acquiring Encycle Therapeutics brings Zealand Pharma a promising IBD asset and expands the breadth of its peptide discovery platform.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Venture Funding Deals column provides a comprehensive monthly review of emerging life science companies that have received venture funding, including companies within the In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals sectors. This month’s column covers deals announced September through October 2015.