Also, deals involving AbCellera/Angios, AstraZeneca/Alchemab, Kowa/Esteve, OSE/Veloxis, Tris/Park, Core One/Akome and Vertex/Obsidian.

A COVID-19 second wave is wreaking havoc in India but pharma appears to be holding things together for now, stretching resources amid a dip in personnel attendance and supply chain strains. Limited vaccine supplies, a spurt in API prices and an inevitable third wave could mean further turbulence ahead.

Three firms launched initial public offerings during the first week of May, but Gyroscope postponed its IPO while Jasper, Science 37 and Roivant took the special purpose acquisition corporation route.

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.