The two RNAi firms cross-license IP from their PH programs, while also partnering on a rare liver disease candidate. GSK invests $250m in Vir and will help to advance its antibody candidates for COVID-19.

The VC firm known for its new company formation efforts will launch 10-12 biopharma, device and diagnostic ventures with its fifth fund. Also, EpimAb raises a $74m series B round, three more drug developers join the IPO queue and Amicus leads recent follow-on offerings.

PharmAbcine CEO Jin-San Yoo talks to Scrip about the company’s overseas clinical trial strategy, pipeline assets, and ambitions for lead candidate TTAC-0001, which the company sees as superior to Avastin. The Korean biotech, which is engaged in various global collaborations on its investigative antibody drugs, hopes that tie-ups can lead to bigger outcomes going forward.

Despite an expected absence of large floats like that of Celltrion Healthcare last year, IPOs by biotech and pharma firms in South Korea are poised to rise in 2018 amid an improved stock listing environment and progress in novel drug development.