Public Company Edition: Four health care special purpose acquisition vehicles went public and two others announced mergers, but only one biopharma firm priced an IPO during the week of 19-23 October. Replimune’s $250m offering led recent FOPOs.

Novartis's Jakavi joins the likes of Roche's Actemra in targeting the life-threatening immune reaction which is killing acutely ill COVID-19 patients.

After disappointing top-line Phase II data in diabetic peripheral neuropathy with NYX-2925, Aptinyx says the full dataset shows significance across endpoints in patients four years or more past diagnosis; a second Phase II study in this subgroup is planned.

Investor unrest expected as Allergan’s NMDA receptor modulator rapastinel fails in Phase III depression program, coming shortly after J&J’s approval in the class with Spravato.