An awaited update on early data for a CAR-NK therapeutic shows disappointing efficacy and duration, but a different chemotherapy conditioning regimen for lymphodepletion is showing early promise in acute myeloid leukemia.

Public Company Edition: Also, Johnson & Johnson’s consumer health spin-out Kenvue filed paperwork to get the ball rolling on an initial public offering. In addition, Geron raised $198m and Madrigal accessed more than $300m after positive trial readouts, but layoffs were revealed by Editas, Elevation, Nabriva and others.

With only weeks to go in 2022, the three major pharmas each had inked between 16 and 20 deals. Meanwhile, Pfizer has been less busy with 12 deals, but those include M&A totaling $18.2bn.

News and views from day three of the BIO annual meeting include business development insights, such as Sanofi's global head of BD Alban De La Sabliere's promise that big pharma has no hidden agenda and an AbbVie BD exec's observations that lower company valuations have not led to lower asking prices. Also, BIO chairman and Nkarta CEO Paul Hastings' optimism that biotech will rebound and Venus Williams' Sjogren's disease story draws a crowd.