The UK's Silence Therapeutics is moving its candidate products into early clinical studies in cardiovascular diseases and improving its visibility with a NASDAQ listing.

At EASL 2020, four partnerships updated RNA-interference or antisense efforts to reduce hep B surface antigen, believed to lead to functional cure of the virus. One analyst sees J&J/Arrowhead as the early leader.

CMS patent attorneys Jane Hollywood and Rob Stephen say COVID-19 has not dented the enthusiasm of medtech start-up entrepreneurs from pushing back the technology boundaries in patient care delivery – in fact, they are getting younger.

With 46 initial public offerings in the US by drug developers so far – including recent launches by Kymera, Inhibrx and Harmony – 2020 will easily beat last year’s 50 IPOs. In follow-on offerings and VC deals, newly public Schrodinger raised $346.5m and Tango’s $50m equity financing.