Amylyx is funding research at the Sunnybrook Research Institute to investigate Bax and Bak inhibition in neurodegenerative disease. Repertoire looks into HPV+ cancer with Memorial Sloan Kettering.

Private Company Edition: While the tough state of financing for publicly traded drug developers continues, venture capital firms and private biopharma companies revealed billions of dollars in new VC funds and start-up financings, including $100m-plus mega-rounds for Tessa, Alladapt and ImCheck.

Following years of reshaping its operations, one part of Aspen Pharmacare’s business that is to stay for now is the firm’s API division. The South African firm’s management explained why as Aspen presented results from its financial first half, hours after wrapping up a key COVID-19 licensing deal with Johnson & Johnson.

Mersana will help J&J develop antibody-drug conjugates against three targets, while AstraZeneca out-licenses a candidate for peripheral artery disease to Regio.