Merck's takeout of Sirna gives a boost to platform biotech investors and has allowed Merck to stake an expansive claim in RNAi. The deal caps a massive turnaround for Sirna--previously Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals--and rewards the investors who took an early chance on RNAi therapies. The move should pay off handsomely for Merck, now the leader in RNAi, provided the technology turns out to be the next Antibodies, not the next Antisense.

Zydus Cadila expects domestic sales to improve and the US generics business to grow in “mid to high” single digits during FY21 after both saw a coronavirus-related hit in Q1. Meanwhile, approvals for a few biologics are expected, its COVID-19 vaccine candidate has just entered Phase II studies and remdesivir launch looms.

At-home nail and hair care and e-commerce were bright spots in a numbing second quarter for Revlon, which was hit hard by mass retail and salon channel closures at a time of ongoing transformation.