Ventus Therapeutics raised a $140m series C while Endeavor Biomedicines brought in $101m in series B cash. Also, Twist Bioscience grossed $250m in a follow-on offering, BioMarin raised $110m when it sold a priority review voucher and Nuvectis, TC BioPharm launched IPOs. 

Merck/Ridgeback’s ribonucleoside analog shows nearly 50% reduction of risk for hospitalization or death in Phase III study. Firms will seek EUA in US; a contract is in place for 1.7 million courses of therapy.

Antios thinks ATI-2173, which employs the Pharmasset liver-targeting chemistry used in HCV blockbuster Sovaldi, can help produce a functional cure in hepatitis B combination therapy.

New York biotech is partnering with researchers at Columbia, Kansas State and Southern Research to address the pandemic.