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
Dutch firm Argenx and China’s Zai Lab have received an approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for Vyvgart Hytrulo (efgartigimod alfa). 13 November 2024
Although it is seeing a downturn in sales and profits, German biotech BioNTech is continuing to acquire assets with the cash pile it made through the covid pandemic, notably iis Comirnaty vaccine that was developed with Pfizer (NYSE: PFE). 13 November 2024
Sino-American oncology company BeiGene has announced third-quarter 2024 financials, showing the total revenues was $1,002 million, up 28% compared to $781 million in the same period of 2023. 13 November 2024
Li Li, Commissioner of China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), and Mette Aaboe Hansen, interim director general of Danish Medicines Agency, have signed a letter of intent to promote bilateral cooperation in regulation of drugs and medical devices. 11 November 2024
South Korean firm SK bioscience announced that Indonesia’s Food and Drug Agency, BPOM (Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan), has approved the Biologics License Application (BLA) for the SKYCellflu quadrivalent prefilled syringe. 23 October 2024
Otsuka Pharmaceutical today announced positive top-line interim data from the ongoing Phase III clinical trial of sibeprenlimab for the treatment of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgA nephropathy) in adults. 22 October 2024
Japanese clinical-stage biotech Aculys Pharma announced that pitolisant (BF2.649), a histamine H3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist, has achieved its primary endpoint in a Phase III clinical trial targeting Japanese patients with narcolepsy. 22 October 2024
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Vyloy (zolbetuximab-clzb), a claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2)-directed cytolytic antibody, with fluoropyrimidine and platinum-containing chemotherapy, from Japanese drug major Astellas Pharma. 19 October 2024
LaNova Medicines, a Shanghai-based biopharma company, has announced that it has secured 3 billion yuan ($41 million) in its series C funding round. 18 October 2024
Taiwan-based REGiMMUNE, a biopharma creating immunotherapies through the power of regulatory T cells (Tregs), and France-based Kiji Therapeutics, a specialist in induced pluripotent stem cells-mesenchymal stem cells (IPSC-MSC) engineered cell therapies for inflammatory diseases, are to merge. 18 October 2024
Chengdu Baiyu Pharmaceutical yesterday announced that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Swiss pharma giant Novartis for a small molecule anti-tumor asset. 17 October 2024
Shionogi has announced new data at IDWeek 2024 from PROVE (Retrospective Cefiderocol Chart Review), the largest global real-world evidence study of Fetroja/Fetcroja (cefiderocol), an innovative siderophore cephalosporin. 17 October 2024
TenNor Therapeutics, a Suzhou-based clinical-stage biotech company, has announced the initial closing of a series E financing round, raising over 300 million yuan ($41 million). 16 October 2024
US pharma major Eli Lilly has announced plans to invest around 1.5 billion renminbi ($206 million) into expanding its manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China. 15 October 2024
In Hong Kong, Akeso Biopharma has successfully raised $250 million through a share placement, marking its second major fundraising effort of 2024. 15 October 2024
Celltrion today announced two-year results of subcutaneous infliximab (CT-P13 SC) dose escalation therapy at United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week 2024 in Vienna, Austria. 15 October 2024
UK pharma major AstraZeneca and Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo’s Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) has won conditional approval in China. 14 October 2024
In what Astella Pharma calls “a landmark decision for advanced bladder cancer patients,” the Japanese drugmaker gained approval in the UK for its treatment regimen. 10 October 2024
Beijing’s InnoCare Pharma has announced encouraging Phase II results for its novel TYK2 inhibitor, ICP-488, aimed at treating moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. 10 October 2024
Zephyrm Bioscience, a Cayman Islands-based biotech, has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong, seeking to raise additional capital to advance its cell therapy pipeline. 9 October 2024
Cytokinetics is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class muscle activators as potential treatments for debilitating diseases in which muscle performance is compromised and/or declining.