After not closing a deal this year on Seagen, Merck takes a smaller step with a $1.35bn bid for Imago and its candidate for multiple myeloproliferative neoplasm indications.

Private Company Edition: The Paragon Biosciences-founded Emalex previously raised $35m when ecopipam was in Phase II. Also, Catalio Capital launches a “special situations” fund, Zenas raises $118m to develop a pipeline of autoimmune disease treatments and Lusaris emerges with $60m.

Venture capital funding for biotechs remains aplenty even as listed companies’ stock prices drop. Biogen’s Papadopoulos, Fidelity’s Kaul and Gurnet’s and ex-Sanofi Viehbacher deliberate on whether there is a valuation disconnect and if this is the next "tulip mania."

Private Company Edition: VC mega-rounds boosted the Q1 2021 total. Also, new funds from Versant, The Column Group and Rapha Capital keep cash flowing into biopharma; up to $525m is invested in Exscientia; and Arch Oncology and Boundless Bio raised $105m each, while Forge brought in $120m.