Mickelsen, an electrophysiologist at the University of Iowa, recently joined the rapidly growing San Diego-area company as Chief Translational Science Officer and is helping to guide the company’s development of novel electrophysiology therapies to treat cardiac arrhythmias.

Private Company Edition: New capital for health care and life science innovations include a fund for royalty deals, additional anti-infective funding, early-stage money and public health-focused cash. Also, Day One reveals a $130m series B venture round and Notch closes an $85m series A round.

Anticipating approval this summer of the first drug for PFIC, Albireo hopes to add Alagille syndrome and biliary atresia to odevixibat labeling. Firm has modeled its commercial plans on the success of other rare disease firms.

While global vaccine heavyweights Merck & Co, Sanofi and GSK are so far not faring so well to successfully develop a vaccine for COVID-19, smaller players are stepping up. That's especially true for segmented markets such as China.