Private Company Edition: The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine’s half-year report shows the sector raised $10.7bn in the first half of 2020 versus $9.8bn raised in all of 2019. Also, DCVC Bio closed a $350m fund, new incubator opportunities and VC mega-deals for Dyne and Atomwise.

Positive interim results from first cohort in Phase IIa study with Bridge Therapeutics' first-in-class Pellino-1 inhibitor for ulcerative colitis set stage for higher doses with a possible change in clinical protocols.

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.

Emerging Company Profile: Switzerland’s iOnctura is working on PI3K-delta inhibitors and autotaxin inhibitors that have potential in solid tumors and cancer-associated fibrosis.