Small-molecule drug delivery tech could help Ionis deliver its oligonucleotides where others cannot reach.

Private Company Edition: Perceptive/Xontogeny, Abingworth, Kizoo and Droia closed venture capital funds. New biopharma VC financings also include a $105m series C round for Elpiscience and $92m for newly launched Interline. 

Deals involving Hoth/Voltron, Vir/Xencor, Akers/Premas, WPD/CNS address coronavirus outbreak. Separately, Roche and Forge hope to develop a novel antibiotic for Gram-negative infections using the LpxC enzyme.

In an exclusive interview, Barbara Lueckel, global head of research technologies at Roche Pharma Partnering, talks about the rationale behind the 2020 deals with Bicycle Therapeutics and Nimble Therapeutics. She gives insight into how deal makers are shifting gears to make deals happen in the challenging environment of the global coronavirus pandemic.