New York biotech is partnering with researchers at Columbia, Kansas State and Southern Research to address the pandemic.

AlloVir/Baylor, Soligenix/Hawaii and CEL-SCI/Georgia ink coronavirus collaborations, but deal-making continues in other areas as well, including Asklepios/UNC teaming on a gene therapy for Angelman syndrome and DeMelle licensing a targeted pancreatic cancer drug from Moffitt, among others.

Private Company Edition: Kymera said it will take up to three programs into the clinic by next year. Also, three new life science funds recently launched, including a Gates Foundation-backed accelerator for COVID-19 treatments, and Cell Medica reemerges as Kuur with new funding for CAR-NKT therapies.

ElevateBio revealed the first company to hitch up with its newly established centralized cell and gene therapy development, manufacturing and commercial capabilities – AlloVir, formerly ViraCyte, which is developing T-cell therapies to treat viruses in immunocompromised patients.