According to an analysis conducted by BioWorld of the first quarter 2020 financial reports filed by the top 100 public biopharmaceutical companies ranked by market cap, and excluding big pharma companies, the amount that was invested in research and development (R&D) during the period increased by 13% compared to the same period last year.

BEIJING – Biotech companies in China were among the first to experience disruptions in their operations and development plans from the COVID-19 outbreak, with employees unable to report to work and difficulties continuing trials.

BEIJING – Chinese regulators granted the marketing nod to Beijing-based Beigene Ltd.‘s PD-1 antibody, tislelizumab, for treating patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) who have received at least two prior therapies. To be sold under the Chinese trade name Baize’an, tislelizumab is Beigene’s first drug to win approval in China, following an FDA approval for its BTK inhibitor, Brukinsa (zanubrutinib), last month.  

BEIJING – Beijing-based Chinese biotech giant Beigene Ltd. said Brukinsa (zanubrutinib) won accelerated FDA approval to treat adults with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who received at least one prior therapy. This is the first China-discovered innovative cancer drug to win FDA clearance. Beigene said Brukinsa is the only FDA-approved BTK inhibitor shown to deliver 100% median occupancy in peripheral blood cells. It is also the only BTK inhibitor that can be taken once or twice daily. Brukinsa is expected to be launched in the U.S. in the coming weeks.

When the time was right to make a powerful Western biotech welcome in China, Beigene Ltd. was ready when Amgen Inc. came calling. Its massive $2.7 billion cash equity investment in Beigene buys Amgen an oncology footprint in China.