US FDA’s drugs center posted one of its lowest monthly approval counts of original applications in January, but new indications filled the gap, including new claims for Merck’s Keytruda, Takeda immunoglobulins, and Sanofi/Regeneron’s Dupixent.

Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories would take over migraine candidate STS101, now under FDA review. Blue Water Vaccines to pick up BPH drug from Veru.

Restructuring Edition: After reporting record revenue, but lower profits due to rising costs, Ferring has decided to consolidate R&D in Europe. Also, Codiak has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will sell off its assets, while Exicure, Applied Molecular Transport, Gamida Cell and others revealed new job cuts.

A review of biopharma start-up dealmaking and financing activity from July through September 2019, based on data from Strategic Transactions. Fundraising activity fell 23% from the second to the third quarter, but start-up M&A surged, led by Vertex's acquisition of Semma.