Private Company Edition: Scrip spoke with DDF US partner Jonathan Behr about the convergence of emerging science, venture capital investment and rising big pharma interest in neurodegeneration. Also, in recent VC financings HotSpot raised $100m, while Curie and Ablaze debuted with $75m each. 

Pharma moves Phase III-ready antibody to prevent pneumonia to Aridis, licenses preclinical STING inhibitors from F-star. Sanofi teams with SRI on AI-directed discovery, Biogen licenses BTK inhibitor from InnoCare.

EQT and Goldman Sachs to pay $8.5bn in Parexel’s second private equity buyout in four years.

Private Company Edition: Nine new venture capital mega-rounds include Insilico’s series C, $250m from Blackstone for a CAR-T therapy spinout from Intellia and a $210m series B round for Umoja.