National Resilience, Parker Institute team to incubate cancer startups. Metropolitan AntiViral Drug Accelerator will focus on eight molecular features of SARS-CoV-2 to create novel oral antivirals.

Editas regains rights to ocular programs first partnered with Allergan in 2017. Newly public F-star will focus on bispecific antibodies for cancer, TriSalus acquires oncology candidate from Dynavax.

After several years of intense consolidation, many medical products companies--the healthier ones, at least--seem to be taking a breather. Drug mergers are way down, while medical devices has become a buyer's market. And biotech consolidation isn't likely anytime soon. Only in slow-growing diagnostics is consolidation the rage.

The proposed merger of SmithKline Beecham and Glaxo Wellcome PLC sent waves of anxiety when it was announced--and relief when it was canceled. The deal ran aground because of disagreements over who would run the company. But the larger questions it raised--about the need for greater critical mass in R&D and the likelihood of future mergers--won't go away so easily.