Struggling antibiotic company will go privare under the agreement. Bayer will employ Acuitas's liquid nanoparticle technology in gene therapies developed by subsidiary Asklepios.

This week, Medtronic said it would pay $738m for insulin patch firm EOFlow; Neuralink got an FDA OK for first-in-human trials; and UK agency NICE backed genetic tests for stroke patients and digital therapeutics for mental health conditions.

As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reduces its dependence on oil as an export, one sector it is building up is the life sciences industry. The government is encouraging global companies to manufacture and invest domestically and they are improving their regulatory system and working with local players to enhance access to patients.

This week, we learned that the US FDA thinks Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain interface device isn’t ready for human trials.  Additionally, J&J cut about 300 medtech jobs, Stryker launched a knee implant, and Active Implants’ meniscus replacement device made it to the FDA’s advisory panel calendar.