Merck & Co's proposed acquisition of Acceleron and a couple of big purchases from Sanofi drove up the value of the sector's M&A activities, according to the latest report from Biomedtracker

Lilly partners with Kumquat to discover small molecule IO drug. Kite, Appia Bio collaborate on allogeneic cell therapies. AstraZeneca and Regeneron pursue novel metabolic therapies targeting GPR75. Lexeo and Stelios merge to focus on gene therapies for rare cardiovascular indications.

Singapore has granted approval for a Phase I/II trial of Arcturus’s next generation mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidates, hot on the heels of a similar approval from Vietnam earlier this week. The biotech’s share price duly rocketed, but there may be more at play.

Taking full control of partner Translate Bio means that Sanofi is the only big vaccine company with a wholly-owned mRNA platform in-house but observers say it is too early to declare that the Paris-headquartered group has bagged itself a bargain.