New strategies to overcome safety, solid tumor and other challenges associated with CAR-T therapies – and some early clinical data for patients treated with Poseida's, Celyad's and Autolus' novel products – were featured at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting.

Robotically assisted surgical devices are one of the hottest and fastest growing segments in the market for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) products, with a global market opportunity projected to reach more than $10 billion by 2021. A growing number of competitors hope to capture share and further expand the market by targeting key procedures and geographies with next generation robotic surgery systems and robotic-like technologies designed to improve outcomes and enable more complex procedures to be performed via an MIS approach.

Ariad will regain ridaforolimus rights from Merck in November; United Therapeutics considers deals, protects patents; Infinity secures new debt; Verastem buys back VS-4718 rights; and Dipexium, Achaogen set IPO terms.

The Dealmaking column is a survey of recent transactions, including strategic alliances, mergers & acquisitions, and financings, in the life sciences industries. Deals are listed by the following industry sectors: in vitro diagnostics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and research/analytical instrumentation and reagents. All transactions are excerpted from Elsevier's Strategic Transactions database, providing comprehensive transaction coverage from 1991 to the present.