The Japanese biotech agreed a multi-year, multi-target research collaboration and license deal with Takeda to discover and develop medicines that modulate GPCR targets, initially in GI.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Venture Funding Deals column provides a comprehensive monthly review of emerging biopharmaceutical companies that have received venture funding. This month’s column covers deals announced January and February 2019.

News of 5AM's two latest venture funds follows the launch of Longevity Vision Fund as well as LA BioMed's and RUNLABS’ announcements that they will open new incubators in 2019. Also, Passage Bio launches with $115.5m, but the largest recent VC deal was HaiHe's $146.6m financing.

Already having launched several portfolio companies, Roivant goes a step further by spinning out CNS specialist Arvelle from Axovant. BI and IBM will incorporate blockchain technology in clinical trials, while AbbVie licenses multiple myeloma candidate from TeneoBio.