While public, regulatory and law enforcement attitudes toward marijuana in the U.S. continue to shift, it’s still tough to pursue legitimate clinical research on cannabis and cannabinoids. Could the exceptions slowly become the rule?

An estimated 400 million people globally are infected with hepatitis B, which can result in liver cancer and cirrhosis. Recent advances in RNA and other technologies may provide movement toward a cure, but it’s not clear yet if the biopharma industry will find the economics motivating enough for an all-out effort.

Deerfield Management has a blank slate with its new $1.6 billion fund for health care investment, the third that it’s dedicated to private company investment and public company structured financing. The hedge fund is trying to reprise the performance of its prior two Private Design funds, for which it claims only one loss thus far in each.