BEIJING – Antibody developer Akeso Biopharma Inc., from China's Guangdong province, closed a $150 million series D financing round to advance its pipeline, especially the two PD-1-based bispecific antibodies, AK-104 and AK-112, aimed to help it stand out in the fierce PD-1 space in China. "A significant portion of the proceeds will go to AK-104 and AK-112, which are both first-in-class drug candidates," Akeso CEO Michelle Xia told BioWorld. This year is a big one for Akeso, as AK-104 and AK-112 received IND approvals from the FDA in March and July, respectively.
BEIJING – Cross-border biotech Denovo Biopharma LLC, registered in San Diego and Hangzhou, China, is planning for a pre-revenue listing on Shanghai's high-tech board (STAR) to support a key trial.
Brian MacDonald's pursuit of an approved hepcidin therapy at Merganser Biotech Inc. didn't quite pan out, but that didn't stop him from taking up Atlas Venture's offer to try it once again on a different tack.