While Forbion's new €360m venture capital fund and other investors have emerged to fund private and public companies, BARDA and other US agencies have been active supporters of biopharma firms in recent weeks. Also, KSQ grabs $80m in VC cash and VelosBios brings in $50m.

Tau-targeting Alzheimer's candidates, though historically rejected in favor of amyloid-beta targeting ones, have gained increasing interest from investors and larger pharma companies.

Oligomerix Inc. is increasingly confident that small aggregates of the protein tau are a key culprit in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. It aims to inhibit tau oligomer formation or self-association, the initial steps in aggregation of the protein, and thereby interrupt the disease process at a relatively early juncture.

This Month's Profile Groups: Ocular Gene Therapy Sees The Light, features profiles of Avalanche Biotechnologies, Eyevensys, GenSight Biologics, and Hemera Biosciences; Smart Orthopedic Implants, feature profiles of OrthoData and Ortho-tag. Plus these Start-Ups Across Health Care: Colibri Heart Valve, Complix, Helmedix, Mapi Pharma, Mendor, Oligomerix, QuantuMDx, Silicon BioDevices, and Vigilant Biosciences.