BEIJING – In one of the latest Sino-foreign collaborations formed to find a cure for the pandemic that has infected 3.5 million people worldwide, Shanghai-based Junshi Biosciences Co. Ltd. and Eli Lilly and Co. have disclosed an agreement to co-develop therapeutic antibodies for preventing and treating COVID-19. Under the terms, Junshi grants Lilly an exclusive license, outside of greater China, to conduct R&D, manufacture and distribute the SARS-CoV-2 JS-016 neutralizing antibodies developed by Junshi.
BEIJING – Nanobody startup Sysvax Inc. is developing a recombinant protein vaccine and a nanobody therapeutic for COVID-19, while trying to extend the half-life of potential COVID-19 treatments with its expertise in this smallest possible antibody format.
HONG KONG – Not even the 9,500 kilometers between Cambridge, U.K., and Tokyo, or the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, could prevent Japan’s Astellas Pharma Inc. from completing its acquisition of Cambridge-based Nanna Therapeutics Ltd. in a £12 million (US$14.78 million) deal.
Leo Pharma A/S, of Ballerup, Denmark, has eyed a stronger company presence in Asia during the past year and took a giant step to achieving it by signing a worldwide exclusive licensing agreement with Oneness Biotech Co. Ltd., of Taipei, Taiwan, and Microbio Shanghai Co. Ltd. to develop and commercialize FB-825 for treating atopic dermatitis and allergic asthma.
HONG KONG – China and U.S.-based Zai Lab Ltd. has signed on to develop and commercialize REGN-1979, a CD20xCD3 bispecific antibody from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Tarrytown, N.Y.
HONG KONG – China’s I-Mab Biopharma Co. Ltd. has entered a strategic partnership with Indonesia’s PT Kalbe Genexine Biologics (KG Bio). Through the deal, KG Bio will receive the right of first negotiation to commercialize two I-Mab-discovered candidates in the ASEAN and MENA regions as well as Sri Lanka.
BEIJING – Osaka-based Japanese infectious disease specialist Shionogi & Co. Ltd. said it will partner with Chinese insurance giant Ping An to establish a data-driven joint venture to develop new drugs in a deal involving ¥33.53 billion (US$311 million). It also plans to tap into immuno-oncology to address the patent cliff of its HIV drugs. Under the terms, the Japanese pharma will sell a 2.05% voting stake, or 6.35 million shares of its common stock, to Ping An for ¥33.53 billion. Shionogi will own 51% of the joint venture while Ping An owns 49%, Shionogi IR group manager Kunihiro Mera told BioWorld.
Proteona Pte. Ltd. has formed a couple of significant partnerships recently, including a Germany-Singapore partnership for a drug screening and discovery platform using single cell multi-omics analysis and an alliance to develop antibodies against coronaviruses.
BEIJING – Suzhou-based Innovent Biologics Inc. has inked a deal with Alector Inc. to obtain the rights of the U.S. biotech’s AL-008 to develop and commercialize it for oncology indications in China.
LONDON – Evox Therapeutics Ltd. has validated its exosome drug delivery technologies in a $882 million deal with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., in which the partners will develop protein replacement and messengerRNA (mRNA) therapies in five rare disease indications.
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