The UK firm’s substantial series A raise will help it advance a pipeline of gene therapy candidates for both rare and common retinal conditions, including a Phase II candidate rescued from a struggling biotech.

California biotech also notes prior licensing deal with Gilead for mitochondrial candidate. Twentyeight-Seven acquires RNA-splicing cancer candidate from Basilea.

AGTC hopes to gain the first approval in X-linked retinitis pigmentosa for its gene therapy AGTC-501, now in a Phase II/III study. It also is advancing development in achromatopsia, another unmet medical need.

Argenx partners with Elektrofi and Iontas; China’s Qilu obtains global rights to Peptron’s antibody-drug conjugate and also ends co-development pact with Quantum Genomics.