Start-up hopes to bring its first candidate, an NY-ESO-1-targeting off-the-shelf product, into the clinic in Q2. Astex and Cardiff University team up on novel therapies for neurodegenerative disease.

Private Company Edition: In recent weeks, 19 companies disclosed venture capital funding of $20m or more, including FogPharma with a $178m series D round and Apogee’s $169m launch. Also, Avalon BioVentures spun out of Avalon Ventures with a $135m fund.

French biotech brings candidate for Gaucher and Parkinson’s disease in-house under 2020 pact with Weizmann. Cellevolve, Seattle Children’s partner on cell therapies for CNS cancers.

A leading Australian venture capital firm has raised the largest ever amount for a private investment fund in the life sciences sector in the country, which will support both early- and mid-stage biotech and device research.