Calcilytix chief medical officer Jonathan Fox talked to Scrip about the development plans for encaleret for the rare form of hypoparathyroidism.

Private Company Edition: Morphic raises $80m to take its first two integrin inhibitors into the clinic for fibrosis and inflammatory bowel disease. Also, Hillhouse has a new $10.6bn private equity fund for health care and other investments, and Atreca closes a $125m Series C.

With a total market potential estimated in the multibillion-dollar range, the drug-coated balloon opportunity is attracting a growing list of competitors, including several leading multinational cardiovascular device companies that have entered the space via recent acquisitions. DCBs still need to prove their worth in large, long-term clinical trials, but the ultimate proving point for DCBs could center on cost: if they can offer an effective treatment option that is significantly less expensive than existing devices, DCBs may provide a compelling economic argument.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Elsevier Business Intelligence’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Recent Financings of Start-Ups column provides a comprehensive monthly review of emerging life science companies that have received venture funding, including companies within the In Vitro Diagnostics, Pharmaceuticals, and Medical Devices sectors.