Sanofi is taking full control of the recently approved type 1 diabetes prevention therapy Tzield by splashing out $2.9bn to acquire partner Provention.

Cipla set to hold 10.35% in biotech Ethris, which is progressing inhaled mRNA-based therapies, among other key assets. The Indian firm expects its next wave of growth to come from areas like biosimilars and mRNA alongside lung leadership aspirations, putting the spotlight on the broader direction of the deal.

Private Company Edition: Third quarter venture capital funding for biopharmaceutical firms fell from Q2, but activity remains near all-time highs year-to-date. Several companies announced VC financings in early October, including Ascidian, which launched with $50m in series A financing.

Having led $30bn of acquisitions of companies at Sanofi, the new challenge for its former global head of partnering is to help make Owkin, “the most disruptive AI biotech company in the world,” he tells Scrip.