More than one-quarter of biopharma or diagnostic start-ups that raised A rounds in the past 18 months had participation by one or more corporate venture arms. Plus news on recent financings by Esperion Therapeutics, XO1, PTC Therapeutics and Valeant.

Since Gilead’s $11 billion buyout of Pharmasset in late 2011, large- and mid-cap biotech share prices have been on the rise. Plus news on recent financing activity by Ophthotech, Effector Therapeutics, Karyopharm Therapeutics and Ironwood Pharmaceuticals.

NICE has given the thumbs-up to Bayer’s Eylea in wet AMD, but its impressive cost-effectiveness could spell trouble for Novartis’ Lucentis in the long run.

Money will finance 1,900-patient, 200-site Phase III trial for wet AMD drug Fovista, expected to work in concert with anti-VEGF therapies such as Lucentis to restore eye function. The transaction is just the latest ophthalmology financing involving Novo AS, SV Life Sciences and executives once with Eyetech.