Merck & Co joins ranks of big pharma firms pursuing the SHP2 area of oncology as it picks up global rights to a portfolio of inhibitors originating from two affiliates of Japan's Otsuka Pharmaceutical.

Private Company Edition: TVM, Focus/MD Anderson and RA Capital launched new venture capital funds. Also, LianBio’s $310m crossover financing, AavantiBio’s Sarepta-backed $107m series A and Sirnaomics’ $105m series D led recent VC rounds. 

Headquartered in both China and US, the new firm will help partners bring drugs to China and other Asian markets. Novavax licenses COVID-19 vaccine in Japan to Takeda, following previous week’s deal for the vaccine in India.

Scrip journalists asked industry executives, consultants and analysts what they believe the big themes, trends and events will be in 2019. Here's what they told us about advances in therapeutic technologies and areas of clinical innovation.