Private Company Edition: venBio’s new fund plus Ysios Capital’s recent €216m ($260m) fund adds up to $810m in fresh venture capital for life science companies. Also, Nikang and Esco attracted $200m each in VC investment, Pulmocide closed a $92m series C round and Stablix launched with $63m. 

Janssen hasn’t released Phase III data yet but says the next-generation androgen receptor inhibitor showed potential benefit for metastasis-free survival.

J&J’s chief scientific officer Dr. Paul Stoffels tells Scrip that flexibility is a hallmark of how the company goes about its collaborations, including the new $30bn deal with Actelion. Stoffels is also hoping to progress the science for a new TB medicine via a unique collaboration in India.

In this tale of two companies, it's the best of times and the best of times. J&J gets immediate value by acquiring Actelion's blockbuster PAH franchise and its late-stage pipeline, while its stake in an Actelion spinout offers longer-term potential.