Mersana signs its third ADC partnership with big pharmas for the year with Merck agreement. Lilly expands its RNA editing partnership with ProQR, which now has the potential to earn an additional $2.5bn. Novartis continues its divestment efforts in deals with Harrow, Erasca.

Sumitomo’s Sunovion has made particular headway in the TAAR1 agonist field and stands to benefit from Otsuka’s CNS expertise and overseas marketing heft.

BioMed X teams with J&J on inflammation, drug delivery research. Stem cell firm Calidi inks licensing deals with U. of Chicago, City of Hope and Northwestern. MD Anderson teams with Blueprint and Hummingbird.

Novartis and Gilead longer-term data show largely steady response and survival rates, shoring up the clinical and commercial case for their products and justifying continued investment in T-cell therapies. The CAR-T pioneers discuss their progress, including with allogeneic platforms, with Scrip at ASH.