Thirty-six biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies sought a capital raise on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in the first half (H1) of 2025, a review by BioWorld found. Of those, 34 companies were from mainland China.
Big pharma is increasingly shopping in China to fill its pipelines as it faces looming patent cliffs on major blockbusters coupled with growing pricing pressures on drugs. China’s out-licensing deals grew to represent 32% of global deals in the first half of 2025, according to a Jefferies report on China dealmaking.
China has proved to be a fertile ground for innovation as evidenced by some big deals in the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) space, and the number of candidates entering clinical trials in China or being advanced in the U.S. by Chinese companies.
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. announced June 13 that it struck a potential $5.33 billion deal with Astrazeneca plc to develop novel preclinical small-molecule candidates using CSPC’s AI-driven drug development platform.
Four biotech companies from South Korea announced new or planned financings mid-June, including GC Genome Corp. Rznomics Inc., G2Gbio Inc. and Mezzion Pharma Co. Ltd. Six major mid-June deals included R&D pacts between Y-Biologics Inc. and Crosspoint Therapeutics, Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Salipro Biotech AB, Next & Bio Inc. and GC Cell Corp., Galux Inc. and Hanall Biopharma Co. Ltd., Celltrion Inc. and Onconic Therapeutics Inc., and SK Plasma Co. Ltd. and Aimedbio Inc.
Shares of Nextcure Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTC) dropped 26.27% on news of a potential $745 million partnership with Simcere Zaiming for Simcere’s cadherin-6 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate. Shares ended at 50 cents apiece June 16.
Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. and Merck & Co. Inc. have voluntarily pulled the BLA for accelerated approval tied to their HER3-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) in treating EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer. The partnership in the expanding ADC space began nearly two years ago in a $22 billion deal.
Samsung Medical Center spinoff Aimedbio Inc. announced raising ₩51.1 billion (US$37.15 million) in pre-IPO funding to advance its portfolio of clinical and preclinical antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidates.
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. on May 30 disclosed that the company was engaged in ongoing negotiations with unnamed, independent third parties regarding three license deals and collaborations that could total up to $5 billion combined.
In yet another China antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) deal, Astellas Pharma Inc. is inlicensing a phase I/II ADC targeting Claudin 18.2 from Evopoint Biosciences Co. Ltd. for up to $1.34 billion.
RSS
