With both a big pharma and biotech leadership perspective, David Meeker talks to In Vivo about how smaller firms can more easily fly solo in drug development, challenges effecting the innovative drug development sector in 2019 and the partnering environment for cell and gene therapy companies. 

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Venture Funding Deals column provides a comprehensive monthly review of emerging biopharmaceutical companies that have received venture funding. This month’s column covers deals announced August and September.

While Forbion's new €360m venture capital fund and other investors have emerged to fund private and public companies, BARDA and other US agencies have been active supporters of biopharma firms in recent weeks. Also, KSQ grabs $80m in VC cash and VelosBios brings in $50m.

CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex initiated the first human study of CRISPR gene-editing technology with an industry sponsor, following an investigator-sponsored study initiated in China two years ago. These are not the first gene-editing trials, but they're important milestones for the CRISPR field.