U.S. policy, China’s strategic rise, blockbuster deals and AI dominated South Korea’s biotechnology industry this year, with U.S. tariffs and the Biosecure Act’s hitch onto 2026 legislation serving as major topics of speculation.
Speed and innovation from Asia Pacific’s (APAC) biotechnology sector had big pharma scouring the region for the next oncology heir to Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Merck & Co. Inc.’s reigning blockbuster cancer drug.
Daiichi Sankyo Inc. told BioWorld it voluntarily placed a partial hold in recruitment and enrollment in the phase III IDeate-Lung02 study of antibody-drug conjugate ifinatamab deruxtecan because of a higher than anticipated incidence of grade 5 interstitial lung disease events. The company did not say how many deaths there had been.
Crescent Biopharma Inc. teamed with Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to generate “parallel” data of its PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody, CR-001. The goal is to get 2027 readouts of the bispecific as a monotherapy and as a combination therapy with antibody-drug conjugates in both the U.S. and China.
Phrontline Biopharma Suzhou Co. Ltd. closed a $60 million pre-A+ financing round led by Lapam Investment, with participation from nine other investors. The funds raised will support Phrontline’s development of next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidates.
Lepu Biopharma Co. Ltd. said Oct. 30 it won Chinese approval of a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), Meiyouheng (becotatug vedotin injection), making it China’s first epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-directed ADC for advanced nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC).
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. agreed to codevelop and commercialize up to three of Innovent Biologics Co. Ltd.’s immuno-oncology (I-O) and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidates with the signing of a $11.4 billion deal, including $1.2 billion paid up front.
Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) specialist Aimedbio Inc. announced Oct. 16 the signing of a potential $991 million deal with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH to license out its novel preclinical ADC asset targeting solid tumors, including KRAS mutations, which is set to enter phase I study next year.
Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) specialist Aimedbio Inc. announced Oct. 16 the signing of a potential $991 million deal with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH to license out its novel preclinical ADC asset targeting solid tumors, including KRAS mutations, which is set to enter phase I study next year.
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