Highlighted by SK Biopharmaceuticals’ recent decision to acquire the US-based ProteoVant Sciences, Korean pharma firms are stepping up deals and collaborations in the hot TPD space, which is expected to continue to attract global investors and big pharma interest.

Private Company Edition: Venture capital mega-rounds of $100m or more held steady in April after a slow January and February then a surge in March, but VC fundraising is down overall this year. In recent raises, Enveda series B expanded to $119m, Vedanta brought in $106.5m and Convergent raised $90m.

All-stock merger will create new company owned 75% by Adaptimmune’s shareholders. Grifols, Selagine to explore antibody approach to treating dry eye disease, and other recent deals.

As the usual flurry of deals coincides with the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, AbbVie signed an mRNA pact with Anima and a cancer research tie-up with Immunome.