HONG KONG – Fujifilm Corp. has entered an agreement with Hitachi Ltd. to acquire Hitachi Ltd.’s diagnostic imaging-related business to further expand Fujifilm’s health care business. Prior to the acquisition, Hitachi will found a new company and implement an absorption-type company split whereby the new company will absorb the business.
Days after going public, Viela Bio Inc. nailed down a deal with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp. to develop and commercialize Viela’s humanized anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody, inebilizumab, in nine Asia regions for the rare disease called neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), as well as other potential future indications.
CEO Mark McKenna told BioWorld Asia that San Diego-based Prometheus Biosciences Inc. has "cracked the code" in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – progress underscored by the firm's deal with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, which brings an undisclosed up-front payment and as much as $420 million more if development, regulatory and commercial milestones are reached in three programs.
HONG KONG – South Korea's Chong Kun Dang (CKD) Pharmaceutical Corp. received approval for its novel erythropoiesis stimulating protein (NESP) biosimilar from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). The drug (CKD-1110) is world's first NESP biosimilar to treat anemia.
Japan's Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co. Ltd. plans to pay $3 billion to acquire Roivant Sciences Ltd.'s ownership interests in five biopharma companies, plus options to acquire up to six more from the prolific company-builder. The deal, slated to close in October, would give Sumitomo Dainippon controlling interests in Myovant Sciences Inc., Urovant Sciences Inc., Enzyvant Therapeutics Inc. and Altavant Sciences Inc., as well as an equity stake of more than 10% in Roivant itself.
The Asia Pacific region (APAC) is vast and awash with varied economies, languages, governments and ambitions. That's the backdrop for its dramatic underperformance compared to the West's pharmaceutical innovations. Yet plenty of opportunities exist, along with a healthy dose of uncertainty, according to the first Pharmaceutical Innovation in the APAC region report, published by Clarivate Analytics plc.
HONG KONG – The trade feud between South Korea and Japan has worsened since the beginning of July, when the Japanese government said it would impose new regulations on exports to Korea. The new policies are mostly applied to elements of semiconductor technology but also includes some pharmaceutical components and devices, leading to concerns that the regulations will affect Korea's pharmaceutical sector.
