Genentech pays $30m up front in a collaboration with Bicycle in a deal that could bring the UK biotech roughly $1.7bn in total. Also, deals involving Nimble, Seattle Genetics, Five Prime, Fresenius, Vifor, Yuhan, Imnewrun, Paratek, Almirall, MBD, AzothBio, Norgine, Faes, Aspen Pharmacare, Swixx.

BioNTech's $150m offering, after a prior large venture capital financing, gives it the third-largest market cap for a newly public drug developer in the US. Also, Innovent raises $300m in Hong Kong offering, Heron leads US follow-ons and Five Prime restructures to save $20m annually.

Finance Watch has noted $1.1bn worth of venture capital deals so far in 2019. Meanwhile, public offerings continue to be muted by the US government shutdown, though Revance and others sold shares. Also, Five Prime and others reveal layoffs and strategic shifts.

Bluebird has been an active deal maker as it looks to add tools, targets and technological capabilities to its R&D engine. A pair of August TCR-focused deals, including the latest with Gritstone, continue that strategy.