Yuhan Corp., Oscotec Inc. and Genosco Inc. were three companies with Asian ties to reap benefit from Johnson & Johnson’s stellar top-line Mariposa study results, wherein J&J’s Rybrevant (amivantamab-vmjw) and Lazcluze (lazertinib) combo regimen beat out Astrazeneca plc’s standard of care in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s chief operating officer Stuart Arbuckle said during the Stifel Healthcare Conference in November that his firm’s launch last year of Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel) for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia “was the beginning of diversifying on top of our cystic fibrosis [CF] base” – a base that itself continues to grow.

Deepcure Inc. has discovered potent, selective oral small-molecule inhibitors of STAT6. These next-generation STAT6 inhibitors have demonstrated promising oral bioavailability, cell permeability and metabolic stability, and do not target STAT6 for degradation.

Researchers from Tavotek Biotherapeutics Inc. described the discovery and preclinical characterization of TAVO-101.

GC Biopharma Corp. will buy plasma collector Abo Holdings Inc. in a ₩138 billion (US$96.28 million) cash acquisition as the vaccine and plasma-derived medicinal products developer works to accelerate entry of Alyglo (IVIG-SN 10%) in the U.S., where it was approved last year.

Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has acquired Bayer AG’s phase II obstructive sleep apnea candidate, BAY-2925976, in a deal worth €85M (US$89.3 million) plus sales-based royalties and commercial milestones.

Puretech Health plc has announced phase IIb data showing its reformulation of pirfenidone has improved the tolerability and increased the efficacy of the marketed antifibrotic in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The tweak on the original molecule involved substituting three hydrogen atoms with three of the heavier counterpart, deuterium, improving stability, whilst retaining the antifibrotic effect.