Public Company Financings: Theravance sold its 85% interest in Trelegy royalties from GSK and Innoviva sold its 15% interest for up to $1.8bn in total. Also, ProKidney grossed $597m from its SPAC merger, Pliant raised $200m in a post-Phase IIa offering and Marinus earned $110m in a PRV sale.

Both Atlas and Foresite Capital announced new funds focused on start-ups. Also, Flagship launched Vesalius with $75m in initial funding, Innoviva sold $225m in notes, Hookipa priced a $75m follow-on offering and job cuts were revealed by Epizyme, Flexion, Deciphera and Gemini. 

Evolving challenges will keep the COVID-19 pipeline active, while oncology, immunology and CNS are areas also expected to see much progress in 2022. Industry executives look forward to the year in therapeutic R&D.

US FDA cites expected sophistication of specialty prescribers in explaining why a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy was not needed for the Alzheimer’s drug, even though Biogen had submitted one.