From the latest COVID-19 advances to the emergence of a game changer for heart failure, Scrip’s editor in chief Eleanor Malone reviews the big stories of the past three months. Safety issues around JAK inhibitors and AAV vector-based gene therapy were also to the fore, while biopharma financing continued apace.

The board members of Vectura, a manufacturer of inhalers and inhaled drugs, have approved a $1.4bn takeover bid by Philip Morris International, the manufacturer of Marlboro cigarettes.

Lilly partners with Kumquat to discover small molecule IO drug. Kite, Appia Bio collaborate on allogeneic cell therapies. AstraZeneca and Regeneron pursue novel metabolic therapies targeting GPR75. Lexeo and Stelios merge to focus on gene therapies for rare cardiovascular indications.

The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will have five more members than were present for the 22 October meeting on coronavirus vaccine development and approval issues.