Mersana will help J&J develop antibody-drug conjugates against three targets, while AstraZeneca out-licenses a candidate for peripheral artery disease to Regio.

The Dutch firm’s dream to become the number one antibody drug conjugate technology provider by 2023 has been bolstered by a flurry of recent strategic collaborations, including one with MacroGenics.

Heading into the J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference, pharmas have been focusing on discovery alliances. J&J’s deals look into novel tissue-targeted drugs, ionic liquid delivery technology and cancer vaccine R&D. Lilly teams with Entos on novel methods for delivering neurology drugs.

Chinese firm RareStone licenses Rhythm’s Imcivree in greater China and will help enroll label-expansion studies for the drug. Omeros sells ophthalmic surgery drug Omidria and its commercial team to Rayner Surgical Group.