X-vax Technology Inc., of Jupiter, Fla., raised $56 million in an upsized series A financing with participation from strategic and institutional investors, including JJDC Inc., Adjuvant Capital, Serum Institute of India, Alexandria Venture Investments and FF DSF VI, a scout investment vehicle out of Founders Fund. 

Exscientia Ltd., of Oxford, U.K., an artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery company, said it entered a collaboration with Rallybio Inc., of Farmington, Conn., to accelerate the discovery of small-molecule drug therapeutics for undisclosed rare disease indications.

The U.K.'s National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said Monday it will be reviewing the methods it uses to develop guidance on drugs, medical devices and diagnostics so it can optimize its evaluation methods to ensure high quality and good value. 

Retrotope Inc., of Los Altos, Calif., closed a $20 million series C financing that was co-led by new investor Mehta Family Partners and current shareholder Timur Artemev. 

Contravir Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Edison, N.J., said its board approved the name change to Hepion Pharmaceuticals Inc., and the stock symbol to HEPA.

Janssen Pharmaceutical Co., a unit of New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson, noted that the World Health Organization included Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in the updated Essential Medicines List.