As Astellas pivots through several candidates in an attempt to create its next blockbuster, a decision to terminate its only prospect in the core mitochondrial R&D area leaves very few other competitors in the market.

On the heels of a decade-long partnership with ViiV Healthcare that has helped 24 million people with HIV, the Medicines Patent Pool introduces a new version of its patent database for essential medicines and COVID-19 vaccines.

Incyte will pay $750m to acquire privately held Escient and its first-in-class oral antagonists of Mas-related G protein-coupled receptors X2 and X4.

Public Company Edition: Denali, Crinetics and Ocular Therapeutix grossed $500m, $350m and $325m, respectively, in private placements ahead of data readouts. Also, Viking raised $550m after its positive Phase II obesity data and Abingworth invested $210m in Gilead’s Trodelvy NSCLC trials.