Continuing parent firm Gilead’s busy deal-making year in immuno-oncology, Kite gets option rights to new targets. Boehringer teams with Israel’s BiomX in IBD research.

While leading large pharma with seven out-licensing or divestiture deals apiece during 2018, AstraZeneca and Novartis each slowed their pace somewhat. But several peer companies followed suit, as there were 31 such deals among the 20 largest biopharma firms last year.

A review of biopharma start-up dealmaking and financing activity from October through December 2018, based on data from Strategic Transactions.

Novartis executives highlighted their stars from its refined pipeline during the company’s first R&D day since Vas Narasimhan took the helm and after a cull that reduced the firm’s development portfolio by 20%.