JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has signed a research collaboration, option and license agreement with Alexion, Astrazeneca Rare Disease, part of Astrazeneca plc, for the development of novel oligonucleotide therapeutics with targeted delivery to certain tissues or organs using J-Brain Cargo, JCR’s proprietary blood-brain barrier-penetrating technology.

Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co. Ltd. has entered into an antibody evaluation, option and license agreement with Ona Therapeutics SL.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation is committing up to DKK1.8 billion (US$260 million) to establish a research and vaccine development initiative that aims to create new or improved vaccines for respiratory diseases, including tuberculosis (TB) and influenza.

Phenomic AI Inc. has announced new collaboration agreements to help advance drug discovery for stroma-rich tumors using its Sctx single-cell transcriptomics platform.

Prism Biolab Co. Ltd. has entered into a drug discovery, license and collaboration agreement with Eli Lilly & Co.

Postera Inc. has announced a multitarget collaboration with Amgen Inc. that seeks to leverage Postera’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform, Proton, an innovation in generative chemistry and synthesis-aware design, and Amgen’s drug discovery expertise, to advance up to five small-molecule programs.

Fractyl Health Inc. has expanded an academic-industry scientific partnership focused on advancing research on the role of the gut and pancreas in metabolic disease.