Vertex and CRISPR look beyond beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease. Also, Bicycle gets $50m up front in Novartis deal, Regeneron commits $75m initially under a Treg collaboration with Sonoma, and Jounce gets a better deal from Concentra to wave off Redx merger.

The lipoprotein(a)-lowering antisense drug olpasiran reduced the cardiovascular disease risk factor Lp(a) by up to 101.1% relative to placebo. A Phase III trial will begin in December. 

The US- and China-based biotech is expanding three oncology-centered clinical studies of two TGF-1/COX-2-targeted siRNA drug candidates from the US into China.

Good news in the biopharma industry and the US economy gave public drug developers the boost they needed to raise cash, including Karuna’s $750m offering. Private company financings slowed during the second week of August, but Prellis and Vector BioPharma raised venture capital.