Vasopharm’s ronopterin (VAS203) missed its primary endpoint in the Phase III NOSTRA III study in patients with traumatic brain injury, but further analyses point to a significant clinical benefit when the inducible NOS inhibitor is given within 12 hours of trauma, suggesting a role for the compound in the condition.

Private Company Edition: Revolution Medicines follows its Sanofi partnership and Warp Drive Bio buyout with a series C venture capital round to fund its RAS pathway inhibitors in cancer. The financing came during a boom in $100m-plus VC financings, including BioNTech's $325m series B.

Small German firm, Vasopharm, wants to be the first company to bring a therapeutic treatment to the European market for use in patients with traumatic brain injuries – but getting the drug through Phase III studies alone will be its biggest test yet.

A review of biopharma start-up deal-making and financing activity from July through September 2017, based on data from Strategic Transactions, showed that fundraising declined 18% from the previous quarter, however the number of acquisitions doubled to eight.