Novartis Pharma AG continues to build up its radiopharmaceutical powerhouse and has expanded a peptide discovery collaboration with Peptidream Inc. in a deal worth up to $2.71 billion. Under the multi-program agreement, Kawasaki, Japan-based Peptidream will use its peptide discovery platform system technology to identify and optimize novel macrocyclic peptides against targets selected by Novartis for potential conjugation to radioligand therapies or other applications for both therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.

Despite a couple of med-tech deals transacted this year and more liquidity in the market, early-stage medical device companies in Europe continue to struggle to raise funds. To attract interest from Venture Capital (VC) funds, these companies must ensure they have a disruptive technology, be willing to change their story, and do the math to ensure that VC firms who back them can get an adequate return, investors advised at the recent LSX World Congress in London.

Antibody-drug conjugates are the hot spot for deals in Asia, but investors questioned whether oncology is really the place to be, during the Asia Bio Partnering Forum in Singapore April 24 to 25.

With a frozen IPO market, investors are tightening their belts and figuring out where to hedge their bets. In Asia, that means having different strategies for different countries while keeping a global mindset, venture capital (VC) investors said during the Asia Bio Partnering Forum in Singapore on April 25.

China’s CAR T market is expected to grow from $72 million in 2022 to $342 million over the next decade. There are currently more than 400 CAR T therapies in the pipeline in China, and most of these are being developed by specialized Chinese biotechs. Research by Clarivate plc, BioWorld’s parent company, indicates that a notable proportion of CAR T-cell therapies in late-phase development in China are being developed through strategic partnerships and joint ventures between multinational corporations and domestic companies, including Johnson & Johnson and Nanjing Legend Biotech Corp., Juno Therapeutics Inc. and Wuxi Apptec Co. Ltd., and CASI Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Juventas Cell Therapy Ltd.

Hologic Inc. moved to expand its breast surgery line with the acquisition of Endomagnetics Ltd. (Endomag) for a proposed $310 million. Endomag offers a magnetic system that allows precise localization of tumors in the breast and lymph nodes without the use of radioactive materials or wires, enabling greater preservation of healthy tissue. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2024.

A week after Bristol Myers Squibb Co. disclosed a significant restructuring plan to focus on long-term growth drivers, the big pharma partnered with Repertoire Immune Medicines Inc. in an early stage, multiyear collaboration to develop T-cell targeted medicines for up to three autoimmune diseases, paying $65 million up front, with a potential $1.8 billion in development, regulatory and commercial milestones, along with tiered royalties.