1. In Vivo
  2. >>Business Strategy

Merck, GSK, J&J Broaden Strategic LP Relationships, External Discovery Initiatives

In the latest examples of biotech VCs and Big Pharma joining forces to prospect for products, Index Ventures announced in March that it had raised a new €150 million life sciences venture fund, Index Life VI, and said that GSK and J&J had committed a combined 50% of the fund’s total capital. Three weeks later Merck said it added early-stage life science venture firm Flagship Ventures to the roster of venture funds it has joined as a limited partner. The investments signal continued interest in externalizing discovery and early-stage development by industry and feature new steps in an ongoing dance between industry’s largest players and the venture investors at the forefront of building biotechs and identifying promising assets.

In the latest examples of biotech venture capitalists and Big Pharma joining forces to prospect for products, Index Ventures announced March 21 that it had raised a new €150 million life sciences venture fund, Index Life VI, and said that GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Johnson & Johnson had committed a combined 50% of the fund’s total capital. Three weeks later on April 10, Merck & Co. Inc. said it added early stage life science venture firm Flagship Ventures to the roster of venture funds it has joined as a limited partner.

The investments signal continued interest in externalizing discovery and early stage development by industry and feature new steps in an...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on In Vivo for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Business Strategy

When VC Steps Back: Finding Alternative Biotech Funding

 
• By Jo Shorthouse

The biotech funding landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift. With traditional VC becoming increasingly cautious and selective, industry executives are exploring new avenues for capital. Conversely, this evolution may ultimately benefit the sector's long-term sustainability.

Podcast: “They Are Able To Keep Their Body”: Medipost On Its Stem Cell Therapy Vision

 
• By Anabel Costa-Ferreira

In Vivo spoke with Edward Ahn, CEO of Medipost, a Korean company that has developed stem cell therapies from cord blood, on how they are working across regulatory markets to provide a novel treatment for degenerative diseases.

Can Italy Shake Off Its Reputation And Become A Premier Hub For Biotech?

 
• By Barnaby Pickering

Leading industry experts have spoken to In Vivo about how investment, a change in mindset and a fresh approach to policy may allow Italy to kick-start its biotech ecosystem.

Rising Leaders 2025: Abbas Kazimi’s Vision For Nimbus Therapeutics

 
• By David Wild

Rising Leader Abbas Kazimi's leadership at Nimbus Therapeutics combines immigrant resilience, patient-first partnerships, contrarian strategic bets and a deeply personal mission driving breakthrough drug discovery innovation.

More from In Vivo

Podcast: Inside MoonLake’s Fast-Track Vision And $500m Deal

 
• By Jo Shorthouse

MoonLake Immunotherapeutics is racing ahead in the biotech space with its innovative nanobody SLK and a transformative $500m non-dilutive financing deal. In this episode, its CEO and CFO discuss the company’s rapid clinical progress, financial strategy and ambitions to reshape inflammatory disease.

When Simple Is Best: A Pre-Term Birth Device To End The ‘Silent Emergency’

 
• By Ashley Yeo

The Lioness non-surgical silicon ring implant is designed to put an end to pre-term births, sparing maternal anguish and saving health system costs. PregnanTech won the Biomed Israel 2025 medtech start-up award, and Limor Sandach told In Vivo how a non-digital technology beat off stiff competition.

Rising leaders 2025: Aneesh Karatt-Vellatt On Maxion Therapeutics’ Antibody Revolution

 
• By Jo Shorthouse

Aneesh Karatt-Vellatt is leading the charge to redefine how ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are targeted with antibody therapies, one of the most notoriously challenging classes of drug targets.