Bioverativ climbs on board Bicycle’s peptide platform in discovery deal; Ironwood CFO jumps ship, joins Vertex

⇨ Biogen spinout Bioverativ is collaborating with Bicycle Therapeutics on new hemophilia and sickle cell disease peptide therapies. The deal comes with $10 million up front and $4.2 million for research support. Then there’s $410 million in milestones that add up for a string of potential successes.

⇨ Tom Graney is jumping ship at Ironwood $IRWD and moving over to Vertex $VRTX as its new CFO.

⇨ Avadel Pharmaceuticals is fronting $50 million for licensing rights to Noctiva, a drug for nocturia due to nocturnal polyuria.

⇨ MEI Pharma {MEIP} has forged a licensing pact with Presage Biosciences for voruciclib, an oral and selective cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor. Under the terms of the agreement, MEI Pharma receives exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize voruciclib and Presage will receive near-term payments of $2.9 million and additional potential payments of up to $181 million.

⇨ Struggling San Diego-based MabVax $MBVX has engaged some help in exploring its strategic alternatives.