Signet Therapeutics founder Haisheng Zhang is betting on organoids and AI to outsmart diffuse gastric cancer and the limits of traditional “clean” drug design.

Akeso Inc. has received clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to initiate clinical trials with AK-152 for Alzheimer’s disease.

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. has obtained clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to conduct clinical trials with SYH-2061 injection for the treatment of IgA nephropathy and other complement-mediated diseases.

Dianthus Therapeutics Inc. has joined the recent trend of companies licensing therapies in development from China. The company will pay as much as $1 billion to Nanjing Leads Biolabs Co. Ltd. for DNTH-212, a bifunctional BDCA2 and BAFF/APRIL inhibitor to treat autoimmune disorders. The payment comprises $30 million up front and some near-term milestones, plus an $8 million milestone for getting a phase I study underway. Leads Biolabs is in line to bring in another $962 million in milestones and royalties.

Sichuan Biokin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has gained clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to conduct clinical trials with [177Lu]-BL-ARC001 injection.

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.’s SYH-2066 tablets has obtained clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to enter clinical trials for respiratory infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Quantumpharm Inc., known as Xtalpi Inc., announced receiving $51 million up front from a potential $5.99 billion deal with Dovetree LLC on Aug. 6. The collaboration, first inked through a letter of intent between the two parties on June 23, will combine Shenzhen, China-based Xtalpi’s AI-based and robotics-driven discovery platform with Dovetree’s “biological insights.” The goal will be to select and validate potential first-in-class candidates for Dovetree across five areas of oncology, immunology and inflammatory diseases, neurological disorders and metabolic dysregulation.

The U.S. FDA has approved Innovent Biologics, Inc.’s IND application to initiate a phase I clinical trial of its oral GLP-1R agonist IBI-3032.

Madrigal Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s long-awaited business development pact became reality by way of an exclusive global license agreement that could be worth more than $2 billion with CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd., of Shijiazhuang, China, for SYH-2086. The candidate is a preclinical oral, small-molecule glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist and orforglipron derivative.