Certa’s lead candidate has shown promise in a mid-stage trial for the rare but debilitating skin disorder, triggering pivotal development plans to address the high unmet need.

In a significant policy shift and following recent public unrest, China now appears to be moving away from its strict "COVID Zero" restrictions to salvage a floundering economy hard hit by repeated lockdowns, as part of which it is looking to accelerate the approval of new vaccines and increase vaccination rates in the elderly.

Kicking a rapid response mechanism into full gear, China approves Roche’s Actemra as a new treatment for coronavirus along with a flurry of testing kits.

VC deals totaled $8.3bn in the first half of 2019, but the year's total rose to just $11.5bn at the end of September, reflecting only a $3.2bn third quarter gain. Among recent financings, Cygnal emerged from stealth mode with $65m invested to date.