Continuing parent firm Gilead’s busy deal-making year in immuno-oncology, Kite gets option rights to new targets. Boehringer teams with Israel’s BiomX in IBD research.

PPF has bought a big stake in the UK-based T-cell specialist, one of many firms backed by investor Neil Woodford which have suffered stock slides in the past few months.

Private Company Edition: I-Mab's $220m Series C round continued the trend of big investments in companies focused on or headquartered in China. Also, Shanghai-based Nuance brought in a combined $35m and European firms dominated recent small financings as US VC deals took a summer break.

Cancer vaccine development is not the only R&D avenue being pursued by the Czech Republic-based biotech, SOTIO, which is aiming to become a fully-integrated biopharma company.