Ampersand Biomedicines has emerged from stealth mode with a new CEO, and aims to shake up oncology and immunology with a new tissue-specific approach to targeting medicines.

The US company has returned rights to the hypertension product to Idorsia, which was already in the grip of a cash crunch and will now face greater difficulties getting the drug to market. 

Sosei Heptares' acquisition of Idorsia's ex-China APAC operations will give the Japan-UK group ready-made independent development and commercialization capabilities in Japan, accelerating by "five to 10 years" its goals in its home market, its CEO tells Scrip. The deal also brings a marketed drug and options to selected Idorsia pipeline assets. 

Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories would take over migraine candidate STS101, now under FDA review. Blue Water Vaccines to pick up BPH drug from Veru.