The private British biotech announced positive results from its Phase IIa study of BPL-003, which it said support its Phase IIb study of the same DMT-based drug.

Roche’s long-serving head of partnering in neuroscience Tom Zioncheck talks about the company’s approach to collaboration and its newly-expanded partnership with Ionis in Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Private Company Edition: Two companies raised multiple hundreds of millions of dollars each helping to keep the number of $100m-plus venture capital mega-rounds on the rise in May. Also, Ascend raised $132.5m to make gene and cell therapies, and Nido emerged with $109m for neurological diseases.

Already owner of about 60% of the troubled antibiotic firm, Innoviva agrees to pay $2.20 per share for all outstanding stock in Entasis. Roche, KaliVir partner on oncolytic virus therapies.