After not closing a deal this year on Seagen, Merck takes a smaller step with a $1.35bn bid for Imago and its candidate for multiple myeloproliferative neoplasm indications.

National Resilience, Parker Institute team to incubate cancer startups. Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator will focus on eight molecular features of SARS-CoV-2 to create novel oral antivirals.

Private Company Edition: Panelists at Biocom’s Global Life Science Partnering Conference noted a shift in the types of early-stage drug developers getting venture funding going forward. In recent financings, Synthego closed a $200m series E and Plexium raised $102m.

Private Company Edition: Venture capital mega-rounds continue to add up, including recent financings for Connect Biopharma ($115m) and Synthego ($100m). Also, Civilization Ventures closed a new $35m fund and Triumvira launched with $55m.