Public Company Edition: The former Allergan CEO is taking a special purpose acquisition corporation public to generate $460m for deals in familiar biopharma niches. Also, IPOs are expected to keep up a robust pace in the fall and Albireo raises $160m on the success of its drug for pediatric liver diseases.

New York biotech is partnering with researchers at Columbia, Kansas State and Southern Research to address the pandemic.

Blueprint and Zymeworks raise $300m-plus in follow-on offerings. Also, Arcutis, Black Diamond and Annovis bring the 2020 US IPO count to four; Spring Bank, Surface Oncology and Decibel reveal strategic shifts; and Harmony’s $200m in venture debt leads recent VC deals.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa's premium source for tracking life-sciences deals, the bimonthly Pacts In Medtech feature highlights notable technology alliances, research and development partnerships and commercial collaborations. This edition covers industry pacts that were signed in September and October 2019.