Specific targets were not disclosed, but Merck KGaA is betting the artificial intelligence technologies of Exscientia and BenevolentAI will discover into new drugs for cancer, neurology, and immunology.

Magnet Biomedicine builds on decades of molecular glue research from its scientific co-founder, Harvard University Professor Stuart Schreiber. The startup is developing drugs that take these glues beyond the biotech industry’s current focus on targeted protein degradation.

Apogee Therapeutics is planning an IPO to fund clinical development of biologic drugs that could offer dosing advantages over currently available immunology and inflammation drugs. Its lead program is being prepared for Phase 1 testing in atopic dermatitis, or eczema.

Eli Lilly’s acquisition of Dice Therapeutics comes eight months after the biotech reported positive data from a Phase 1 study in psoriasis. Dice develops oral small molecule drugs intended to offer alternatives to biologic drugs that are injected or infused.

Grifols said the layoffs sparked by its restructuring represent just 8% of its workforce. But the cuts will happen mainly in the Barcelona-based company’s U.S. plasma operations, source of most of the plasma that is the basis for its biologic medicines.

Red Tree Venture Capital has closed a $272 million fund focused on investing in West Coast life sciences companies. The firm’s founders say they’re filling a need by providing financial support for innovations emerging from the region’s academic labs.

The biggest biotech financing of the past week belongs to a startup developing an immunology drug that could rival blockbuster products sold by big pharmaceutical companies. Cell therapy, cancer, and rare disease also figured into this week’s startup cash hauls.

Several biotech companies are rising to the challenge of developing small molecules to drug RNA. Remix Therapeutics is joining the chase, but its different approach has drawn the interest of Johnson & Johnson, which has inked an R&D alliance spanning cancer and immunology.

Machine learning is core to the drug research of Seismic Therapeutic, a new biotech startup developing novel drugs for immunology indications. CEO Jo Viney said the company’s initial focus is addressing dysregulation of adaptive immunity.

Sanofi’s new alliance with artificial intelligence biotech Exscientia spans up to 15 small molecule drugs in cancer and immunology. If drugs from the partnership reach the market, Exscientia could earn as much as $5.2 billion in milestone payments.

Odyssey Therapeutics is the latest startup formed by serial biotech entrepreneur Gary Glick. Odyssey’s destination is oncology and immunology drugs that address novel disease targets, and the biotech now has $218 million in Series A financing to fuel the journey.

Dice Therapeutics raised $204 million from its IPO to support development of oral drugs that could compete against biologic drugs that are injected or infused. Also debuting on the public markets were Tyra Biosciences and Procept BioRobotics.

Vera Therapeutics raised $47.9 million from its IPO to continue clinical development of its lead asset, a potential treatment for the kidney disease IgA nephropathy. But the company is joining a crowded field of companies aiming to develop a drug for the rare disorder.

In response to emailed questions, the CEO and CTO talk about the immune intelligence startup’s Human Immunity Map — a growing database of immune interactions that can support the development of multiplex diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics.

The Japanese drugmaker had entered a neurology-focused partnership with Allergan in April 2016. AbbVie acquired Allergan last year, closing the deal in May.

The immune system is nature’s most finely-tuned diagnostic, so how will we use it to thwart disease and promote health?

The US-based subsidiary will bring together existing research and development and manufacturing businesses in the US, India and Switzerland.

In a call to following news of the deal, executives pointed to near-term launch opportunities and pipelines, but some analysts expressed concern about the loss of patent protection for Revlimid and Opdivo.

Oncology has long been borrowing lessons from immunology. It may now be time to pay it back. Pandion Therapeutics is tapping into some immune evasion tools observed in cancer to better treat autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.