Chinese biopharma CStone Pharmaceuticals has announced a strategic commercial collaboration with Pharmalink Store, a prominent pharmaceutical company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 22 November 2024
Zhongshan-based biopharma company Akeso will await the verdict of the Chinese medicines regulator on a penpulimab-based combo therapy. 22 November 2024
Shanghai-based Zai Lab and New York’s Pfizer are to work together on the commercialization of Xacduro (sulbactam-durlobactam) in China. 22 November 2024
Hong Kong-based Sino Biopharm has signed an equity investment and strategic collaboration agreement with LaNova Medicines, advancing its oncology focus. 22 November 2024
Japanese drugmaker Eisai has announced that the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) treatment Rozebalamin for Injection (mecobalamin) has been launched in Japan as a treatment for slowing progression of functional impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. 21 November 2024
San Diego-based Kura Oncology and Japan’s Kyowa Kirin have entered into a global strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize ziftomenib. 21 November 2024
Shanghai-based Leading Tac Pharmaceutical has announced the successful completion of a series A financing round, raising over 100 million yuan ($14 million). 21 November 2024
California, USA-based biotech Cytokinetics saw its shares fall as much as 4% to $9.67 yesterday, after it announced a deal with Germany’ Bayer. 20 November 2024
Big pharmas are not deterred by China’s increasingly complex business environment. Instead, they are changing strategies to minimize risks while continuing to benefit from China, said speakers at ChinaTrials held last week in Shanghai. 18 November 2024
Following US approval in May this year, South Korea’s Samsung Bioepis and US biotech Biogen have now won approval from the European Commission (EC) for their Opuviz 40mg/mL solution for injection in a vial, a biosimilar referencing Regeneron and Bayer’s Eylea (aflibercept). 18 November 2024
Shanghai-based Junshi Biosciences has received UK regulatory approval for Loqtorzi (toripalimab) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). 18 November 2024
Chinese biotech Keymed Biosciences has entered an exclusive licensing agreement with Platina Medicines for its bispecific antibody candidate, CM336. 18 November 2024
In yet another sign of the mounting interest in radiopharmaceuticals, Tongrui Biopharma, a Chinese innovator in this area, has announced the completion of a $100 million series A+ financing round. 18 November 2024
Shanghai-based biopharma Zai Lab has announced the pricing of its underwritten public offering at $25.50 per share, aiming to raise around $200 million. 15 November 2024
South Korean biosimilars company Celltrion today announced its acquisition of iQone Healthcare Switzerland a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on distribution, sales, and marketing in Switzerland. 15 November 2024
Merck & Co has entered into an exclusive global license to develop, manufacture and commercialize LM-299 from China-based clinical-stage biotech LaNova Medicines, bringing the US pharma giant into the newly attractive PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody space. 15 November 2024
Japanese drugmaker Nippon Shinyaku and USA-based Atsena Therapeutics have entered into an exclusive license agreement for the commercialization of ATSN-101 in the USA and Japan for advancing Atsena’s first- in-class, investigational gene therapy ATSN-101 for Leber congenital amaurosis caused by biallelic mutations in GUCY2D (LCA1). 13 November 2024
Anglo-American biotech Apollo Therapeutics and China-based Sunshine Lake Pharma have signed an exclusive license agreement to develop APL-18881, a bi-specific fusion protein aimed at treating metabolic diseases. 13 November 2024
The New Drug Application (NDA) for China-based Hutchmed’s sovleplenib as a treatment of adult patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) has been accepted for review and granted priority review by the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). 11 January 2024
China’s Shanghai Henlius Biotech today announced a strategic collaboration with USA-based Sermonix Pharmaceuticals for exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize Sermonix’ lead investigational drug, lasofoxifene, in China. 11 January 2024
Coherus Biosciences has notified the US markets authority that it will terminate a collaboration with Shanghai-based Junshi Biosciences related to an anti-TIGIT candidate. 11 January 2024
Japanese drugmaker Eisai announced today that the Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) will convene to discuss the marketing authorization application (MAA) of its Alzheimer’s disease drug Leqembi (lecanemab) which is currently under review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). 11 January 2024
China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved Nucala (mepolizumab) as an add-on maintenance treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older. 10 January 2024
China-based Innovent Biologics has announced that the first Phase III clinical trial of mazdutide (Innovent R&D code: IBI362), a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and glucagon receptor (GCGR) dual agonist, in Chinese adults with overweight or obesity (GLORY-1) met the primary endpoints and all key secondary endpoints. 10 January 2024
Breaking new ground, private Chinese start-up Argo Biopharmaceutical has won two exclusive license and collaboration contracts with Swiss cancer giant Novartis. 9 January 2024
USA-based biotech incubator Flagship Pioneering and South Korea’s Samsung today announced a collaboration aimed at fostering cutting-edge biopharmaceutical innovation. 8 January 2024
Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim closed last week with a fourth licensing deal, this one with Japan’s Kyowa Kirin to develop a novel, first-in-class treatment for fibro-inflammatory diseases. 8 January 2024
China and USA-based Allorion Therapeutics has announced a second licensing deal within a few days, this time entering an exclusive agreement with US clinical-state biotech Avenzo Therapeutics. 5 January 2024
China’s Suzhou Ribo Life Science and its Ribocure unit have entered into collaboration with German family-owned pharma major Boehringer Ingelheim to develop novel treatments for non-alcoholic or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (NASH/MASH). 4 January 2024
Not long after the first home-grown GLP-1 agonist was approved in China, the country’s thriving biotech sector looks set to progress another novel candidate in this class with strong potential. 4 January 2024
US pharma company Esperion Therapeutics on Wednesday announced a $125 million deal with Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo’s European subsidiary (DSE) to resolve Esperion's demand for $300 million from the company over Esperion's cholesterol reduction drugs. 4 January 2024
Adding to the growing list pf big pharma licensing and M&A deals in the attractive area of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) drugs, China-headquartered MediLink Therapeutics has entered into a worldwide collaboration and license accord with Swiss pharma giant Roche. 3 January 2024
China and USA-based Allorion Therapeutics has entered into an exclusive option and global license agreement with UK pharma major AstraZeneca. 3 January 2024
After decades without a breakthrough, scientists targeting the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have notched up three successes in a period of around a year. 2 January 2024
China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved Japanese pharma major Takeda’s antiviral drug Livtencity (maribavir). 29 December 2023