Tapping into Abingworth’s pioneering clinical co-development model, the private equity behemoth is using that experience to form Launch Therapeutics which will seek to partner with biotech and biopharma on "best‐in‐class, late‐stage clinical assets [and] bring life‐saving therapies to market better, faster and cheaper."

The agreement will accelerate the development of cell-based therapies, where Thermo Fisher will build and run a development center

The UK-headquartered life sciences investment firm has comfortably exceeded its target of $350m for a fund dedicated to taking on late-stage products, incurring all the clinical and regulatory risk and receiving a pre-negotiated return once the drug is approved.

After a brief lull in US initial public offerings, PainReform and three special purpose acquisition companies kicked off September’s IPOs. Also, Immunovant offering grossed $173.9m, Carlyle Group bought 5% stake in China’s Salubris and Erasca increased its series B to $236m.