The Australian government delivered an early Christmas present to the biopharma industry in the form of a new National Medicines Policy giving voice to major industry goals – among them a clear vision to “achieve the world’s best health, social and economic outcomes for all Australians through a highly supportive medicines policy environment.”

Investment in the fourth quarter of 2022 was dismal in Asia Pacific, as the global venture community focused on preserving capital. And the region faced other challenges throughout the year, as leaders in Australia and across Asia became acutely aware of the vulnerabilities in their supply chains. But the year also saw some big deals and collaborations involving companies across Asia Pacific, along with advances in regenerative and digital medicine.

Investment in the fourth quarter of 2022 was dismal in Asia Pacific, as the global venture community focused on preserving capital. And the region faced other challenges throughout the year, as leaders in Australia and across Asia became acutely aware of the vulnerabilities in their supply chains. But the year also saw some big deals and collaborations involving companies across Asia Pacific, along with advances in regenerative and digital medicine.

The Australian government delivered an early Christmas present to the biopharma industry in the form of a new National Medicines Policy giving voice to major industry goals – among them a clear vision to “achieve the world’s best health, social and economic outcomes for all Australians through a highly supportive medicines policy environment.”

Medical technology company Synchron Inc. completed an AU$110 million (US$73.9 million) series C round that will allow the company to conduct a feasibility study and pivotal trial of its implantable brain computer interface that can interpret and stimulate parts of the brain.

A feasibility study conducted by the University of Queensland (UQ) confirmed the utility of Inoviq Ltd.’s exosome-based ovarian cancer screening test for isolating extracellular vesicle (EV) biomarkers. The Ovarian Cancer 97 study (OC97) screened data from 97 plasma samples and identified significant differences between the EV biomarker content of ovarian cancer and healthy control samples.

Vaxxas Pty. Ltd. raised AU$34 million (US$23 million) to advance its needle-free COVID-19 vaccine program, which began in early November, and readouts from the study are expected in late February or early March, Vaxxas CEO David Hoey told BioWorld. The COVID-19 vaccine patch is based on the company’s high-density microarray patch technology that delivers Hexapro, a second-generation version of the spike protein used in all major U.S.-approved COVID-19 vaccines.

Vaxxas Pty. Ltd. raised AU$34 million (US$23 million) to advance its needle-free COVID-19 vaccine program, which began in early November, and readouts from the study are expected in late February or early March, Vaxxas CEO David Hoey told BioWorld. The COVID-19 vaccine patch is based on the company’s high-density microarray patch technology that delivers Hexapro, a second-generation version of the spike protein used in all major U.S.-approved COVID-19 vaccines.

When a drug prevents bacteria from synthesizing their own folate, an essential compound for their survival, they take it directly from the host. This antibiotic resistance mechanism had not been detected until now because bacteria behave differently in the laboratory than they do in vivo during an infection.

Global interest in radiopharmaceuticals is growing, and some big deals in the space have sparked interest in the last few years. Novartis AG has spent about $6 billion in acquisitions and is seen as the global leader.