Deal Snapshot: Building on a 2021 tie-up between Takeda and the Paragon start-up, Evozyne will seek novel protein sequences for inclusion in gene therapies for rare disease indications.

Private Company Edition: The astonishing pace of venture capital investment in drug development continues with another $1.5bn in financings of $100m or more, including $152m for Pyxis and $126m for Omega. New VC funds also continue to launch, including RiverVest’s fifth fund, totaling $275m.

Paion’s novel sedation drug, remimazolam, was approved in the US, China, and Japan this year and now the European Medicines Agency is set to decide whether it should be authorized for use across the EU.

Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed an attempt by Pfizer to limit damages owed to Pharmascience as part of litigation over pregabalin. The court rejected Pfizer’s argument that the generics firm was not entitled to certain damages for lost sales that Pfizer said could have been blocked by the originator hypothetically seeking to enforce a patent protecting the Lyrica brand.