The U.K.'s National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said Monday it will be reviewing the methods it uses to develop guidance on drugs, medical devices and diagnostics so it can optimize its evaluation methods to ensure high quality and good value. 

Retrotope Inc., of Los Altos, Calif., closed a $20 million series C financing that was co-led by new investor Mehta Family Partners and current shareholder Timur Artemev. 

Contravir Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Edison, N.J., said its board approved the name change to Hepion Pharmaceuticals Inc., and the stock symbol to HEPA.

Janssen Pharmaceutical Co., a unit of New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson, noted that the World Health Organization included Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in the updated Essential Medicines List.

Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., of New York, said it closed an underwritten public offering of 9 million shares at 60 cents each, for total gross proceeds of approximately $5.4 million.

Arvinas Inc., of New Haven, Conn., reported preclinical data on its tau-targeted Protac protein degrader program at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Los Angeles. After parenteral administration of the drug, more than 95% of pathologic tau protein was eliminated in the brain of a mouse tauopathy model.