Bluebird Bio Inc. and Novo Nordisk A/S plan to develop in vivo genome editing treatments for genetic diseases, including hemophilia, over the next three years.

HONG KONG – South Korean pharmaceutical company Chong Kun Dang Holdings recently invested KRW5 billion (US$4.1 million) in Biorchestra Co. Ltd., a Korean startup based in Daejeon that aims to develop Alzheimer's dementia treatment based on microRNA.

Akcea Therapeutics Inc., a majority owned affiliate of Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Pfizer Inc. signed an exclusive, worldwide licensing deal for AKCEA-ANGPTL-3-LRx, which is being developed to treat cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The deal follows a period during which Akcea's stock (NASDAQ:AKCA) has sagged prior to rising Monday and big changes in the company's C-suite.

HONG KONG – South Korean biotech Bioleaders Co. Ltd., headquartered in Yong-in city, Gyeonggi-do, and Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science, based in Rehovot, recently founded a joint venture in Israel. With the new entity, they will accelerate the R&D of a Weizmann-developed approach targeting p53, a strong tumor suppressor that has proved difficult to drug.

CEO Mark McKenna told BioWorld that San Diego-based Prometheus Biosciences Inc. has "cracked the code" in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – progress underscored by the firm's deal with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, which brings an undisclosed up-front payment and as much as $420 million more if development, regulatory and commercial milestones are reached in three programs.

Newlink Genetics Corp. and Lumos Pharma Inc. have agreed to merge, with the deal expected to close in the first quarter of 2020. Lumos will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Newlink, which will be renamed Lumos Pharma Inc.

The diversification at Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (Sobi) continued Monday with its acquisition of Dova Pharmaceuticals Inc. in a deal worth about $915 million.

Proteon Therapeutics Inc.'s inventorying of options after the phase III failure with vonapanitase in chronic kidney disease (CKD) ended in a merger deal with Artara Therapeutics Inc., a startup that has hung its main hat on TARA-002, a therapy for lymphatic malformations (also called lymphangiomas) that has already gained validation by way of a similar product in Japan.

Anokion SA, a Swiss biotech focused on autoimmune disease, is bringing in-house a startup it spun out for a development alliance with Astellas Pharma Inc. The acquisition of Kanyos Bio Inc., announced alongside news it closed a $40 million series B financing, puts front and center KAN-101, a preclinical celiac disease drug poised for an IND filing by year-end. Together with Anokion's lead candidate, ANK-780, an antigen-specific treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), the company anticipates having two programs in clinical development within the next 12 months.

PERTH, Australia – Australian cell therapy developer Mesoblast Ltd. has partnered with Germany's Grünenthal Group to develop and commercialize Mesoblast's allogeneic cell therapy candidate, MPC-06-ID, in a deal that carves out Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.