Although SRF813 isn’t likely to reach the clinic until 2021, GSK likes cell therapy’s monotherapy and combination potential. Lilly bids $880m to acquire neurodegenerative cell therapy firm Prevail.

Private Company Edition: Venture capital invested in pharma and biotech in 2020 totaled $19.5m through Q3, just $400m below the full-year record total of $19.9bn in 2018. Also, Canaan and Catalio reveal new VC funds, while Talaris’s $115m series B leads recent financings.

Private Company Edition: Also, Medicxi’s new €200m fund will be reinvested in a portfolio of six life science companies and Silverback more than doubled its 2020 money with an $85m series C round.

Headquartered in both China and US, the new firm will help partners bring drugs to China and other Asian markets. Novavax licenses COVID-19 vaccine in Japan to Takeda, following previous week’s deal for the vaccine in India.