The recent partnerships on Claudin 18.2-targeting agents between Chinese biotechs and big pharma have brought China innovation to a new phase that Chinese firms can be proud of, an executive from Keymed Biosciences, one of the Chinese biotechs involved in such deals, tells Scrip in an interview.

Last December, China's Akeso struck a major agreement worth up to $5bn with Summit Therapeutics, which set a new record in terms of total deal value for a single asset in the Chinese biopharma sector. Akeso founder and CEO Michelle Xia is now planning to pursue a more independent path in taking the firm global.

Private Company Edition: Jeito says its new first fund is Europe’s largest life science-focused fund. Illumina will use its venture capital to support tools, diagnostics, therapeutics and more. Also, IASO closed a $108m series C round and Amolyt raised $80m in series C financing.

Pieris and Genentech try partnering again after a disappointing IO tie-up before. Biogen’s hectic May includes partnerships with Ginkgo, Envisagenics, Capsigen and an opt-in on TMS’s stroke candidate.