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.

Jacobio Pharmaceuticals Group Co. Ltd. is outlicensing its phase I pan-KRAS inhibitor, JAB-23E73, to Astrazeneca plc in a global deal worth up to $1.915 billion that gives Astrazeneca global rights to the compound outside of China, and the two companies will jointly develop and commercialize the asset in China.

Harbour Biomed has added another collaboration to its end-of-year dealmaking, this time with Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMS) to develop multispecific antibodies. Harbour is getting about $90 million up front, but milestones could eventually top $1 billion.

Insilico Medicine Inc. plans to raise HK$2.27 billion (US$292 million) in its IPO on the Hong Kong Securities Exchange to advance its clinical pipeline and invest further in generative AI and automated laboratories.

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. As previously reported by BioWorld, China’s out-licensing deals grew to represent 32% of global deals in the first half of 2025, up from 21% in 2024, and only 5% in 2020, Jefferies Hong Kong-based analyst Cui Cui wrote in a July 2025 report on China dealmaking.

Things once done in laboratories can now be done with computers and AI, said Kim Woo-youn, CEO and cofounder of Hits Inc. “We live in the age of ‘digital alchemy,’” Kim told BioWorld, describing how AI is shifting some drug discovery processes from physical to virtual spaces.

ADEL Inc. closed a year-end licensing deal worth up to $1.04 billion with Sanofi SA for ADEL-Y01, a specific tau-targeting Alzheimer’s disease drug candidate in a U.S. phase I study.

Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd.’s radiotracer RAD-101 met the primary endpoint in 92% of patients in the phase IIb imaging trial in brain metastases, according to interim results. To date, 11 of the 12 patients treated with RAD-101 (F18-Pivalate) achieved concordance with MRI (the primary endpoint) as assessed by PET imaging of brain metastases. The results showed significant and selective tumor uptake, and images confirm metabolic activity in brain metastases compared to equivocal MRI findings.

Experience gained in the Asia-Pacific region is helping shape the Menarini Group’s global strategy as the Italian pharmaceutical company looks to emerging markets to drive long-term, sustainable growth.

D3 Bio Inc. secured $108 million in a series B financing round Dec. 9 to support its planned phase III program of lead oral KRAS G12C inhibitor, elisrasib (D3S-001).