Although HER2-targeted therapies have become a mainstay in cancer treatment, some tumors evade them by stripping away the portion of the HER2 receptor that most therapies are built to recognize and bind to, but Taiwan’s AP Biosciences Inc. is developing bispecific antibody AP-402 to address treatment-resistant HER2+ cancers.
Pfizer Inc. is paying $1.25 billion up front and up to $4.8 billion in milestone payments to gain global, ex-China rights to SSGJ-707, a PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody from 3Sbio Inc. that recently won China clearance for a phase III study in lung cancer as a potential first-line monotherapy. Announced after U.S. market hours May 19, the exclusive agreement for SSGJ-707 spells up to $6.15 billion combined for Shenyang, China-based 3Sbio, along with separate tiered double-digit royalty payments on sales of SSGJ-707, if approved.
China’s Pegbio Co. Ltd. launched its IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange May 19, to raise up to HK$300.82 million (US$38.4 million) to advance visepegenatide (PB-119), its glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist.
Rznomics Inc. scored a potential ₩1.9 trillion (US$1.35 billion) global license option agreement with Eli Lilly and Co. to codevelop a novel RNA editing gene therapy to treat hereditary hearing loss.
Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. announced a global offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to raise up to $1.27 billion to advance its growing pipeline focused on oncology, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, immunological and respiratory diseases, and neuroscience.
Apimeds Pharmaceuticals US Inc. (APUS), a subsidiary of Kospi-listed Inscobee Inc., said May 12 that it raised $13.5 million from its stock sale on the NYSE American exchange May 9 through an offering of 3.375 million shares at $4 per share. Hopewell, N.J.-based APUS is the second pharmaceutical company with Asian ties to float shares on the U.S. market this year.
The U.S. FDA’s decision to phase out animal testing for INDs is driving a new market of alternative, nonanimal testing technologies like organoids and organs-on-a-chip, speakers at Bio Korea 2025 said.
Korean pharmaceutical stocks rose across the board May 13, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump signed off on the most favored nation executive order, a drug pricing policy expected to benefit biosimilar makers in the U.S., according to Celltrion Inc.
China’s National Medical Products Administration has approved Remegen Co. Ltd.’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), disitamab vedotin (RC-48), for treatment of HER2-positive advanced breast cancer in patients with liver metastasis.
Shionogi & Co. said it plans to acquire Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) subsidiaries Torii Pharmaceutical Co. and Akros Pharma Inc. for ¥160 billion (US$1.1 billion) to expand its global R&D business. The two companies have been negotiating since early 2024, and the deal is structured such that a tender offer will begin on May 8 and end on June 18 with an offer price of ¥6,350 per share to buy at least 11.89% of the minority stake, JT told BioWorld.
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