VC funding slowed recently, but public company financings kept up a brisk pace with follow-on public offerings for Allakos and Alpine, private placements for Ventyx and Syros, and Albireo’s royalty deal. In restructuring updates, Biogen raised $592m in a real estate deal and Acerus is assessing options.

Early engagement with US payers suggests openness to covering a liquid form of riluzole, because the tablet version is proven, but it's impossible to take for many ALS patients, says Italfarmaco subsidiary ITF Pharma.

First quarter VC investments in biopharma set high expectations for the second quarter; Acorda cuts jobs after patent litigation defeat, plus other strategic realignments; no new US IPOs, but Europe has three; and notable follow-on offerings.

Pipeline Watch has been updated to bring greater depth and detail to a potential therapeutic product’s progress through the R&D pipeline. The table brings you a snapshot of selected late-stage clinical trial events in the pharma and biotech industries.