BioMed X teams with J&J on inflammation, drug delivery research. Stem cell firm Calidi inks licensing deals with U. of Chicago, City of Hope and Northwestern. MD Anderson teams with Blueprint and Hummingbird.

Polyneuron, Synerkine, Harmony, EIP Pharma and AITI Life Sciences all raised cash in recent weeks to tackle various conditions involving the nervous system. More recent venture funding deals... 

Arteaus sells royalty stream from Lilly's Emgality giving investors a $260m payday. Also, Pfizer spin-out SpringWorks nabs another $125m, Arch Oncology and Prevail Therapeutics close $50m Series B rounds, and Karuna's recent financing grows to $80m.

The publication of Phase I analyses for Merck & Co.'s Alzheimer's therapy, verubecestat, may help to explain why the company decided to pursue costly Phase III studies without more data – but questions still remain around the drug's fundamental hypothesis that modulating the brain amyloid system will translate into a clinical response.