Public Company Edition: Cancer-focused Adlai Nortye launched a concurrent initial public offering and private placement, while four other drug developers announced or completed SPAC mergers. Also, Sobi grossed $540m in a rights issue and Immunovant followed early data with a $450m FOPO.

This week, the US government relaunched a program providing free COVID-19 tests and invested $600m in domestic test manufacturing; the European Commission revealed an antitrust investigation of Edwards LifeSciences; and a consulting firm report said the medtech industry should make big changes to address investor skepticism.

A two-day workshop on potential biomarkers in NASH provided a forum for US FDA officials to offer implicit reassurance to drug developers: the agency stands behind its guidance on Accelerated Approval for the liver disease, despite the rejection of the first application seeking to use that approach.

Plus deals involving SK pharmteco/CBM, Kezar/Everest, Cerecin/University of Alberta, PeptiDream/Genentech, Aclipse/Chong Kun Dang and Cure Genetics/Frametact.