A group of venture firms decided to buy Affymax from GSK at a bargain-basement valuation. They felt it had not merely the makings of a product company but could jumpstart the creation of a fully integrated biology/screening/chemistry drug discovery company. In effect, they bought, at a discount, a proto-Vertex that wouldn't have to wait nearly a decade to see a valuation explosion.

Progress for two US-based companies in the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.

After double-digit growth in formulation sales across geographies in the fourth quarter, Aurobindo expects to continue the momentum this fiscal year. Meanwhile, it might look for partners for its biologics business, which is now transferred to its fully owned subsidiary for $48m.