After record venture capital activity around South Korean biotechs last year, the strong investment interest has persisted so far this year, with an increased number of companies receiving large-scale funding as the promising sector emerges amid the pandemic.

South Korean conglomerate SK Group continues its cross-border acquisitions of contract manufacturers, this time of French biologics specialist Yposkesi, marking a new push into the gene and cell therapy sector as it looks to become a global leader in the production of both innovative chemical drugs and biologics.

Plus deals involving I-Mab/Complix, Lupin/Endoceutics, Genome & Co/Pfizer/Merck KGaA, Genome & Co/Debiopharm, Exelixis/WuXi, Intas/Foresee, Wugen/Alpha Biosciences

Private Company Edition: Clover’s $230m financing was the largest of recent mega-rounds. Century Therapeutics ($160m), Vividion ($135m) and eGenesis ($125m) also raised big rounds and investors Foresite Capital ($969m), Sofinnova Partners ($540m) and OMX Ventures ($150m) raised new VC funds.