BEIJING – Shanghai-based bispecifc antibody startup Epimab Biotherapeutics Inc. entered a research collaboration and license agreement with Brisbane, Australia-based QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute to look for novel bispecific target combinations, a move that could expand the startup’s pipeline.
BEIJING – CAR T specialist Wuhan Bio-Raid Biotechnology Co. Ltd. said its BRD-01, an anti-CD30 CAR T therapy candidate, has been granted IND approval by China’s NMPA. It is the first CD30 candidate to enter the clinic stage amid an increasingly heated CAR T race dominated by candidates targeting CD19 and BMCA.
BEIJING – During the market downturn caused by COVID-19 disruptions, biotech and med-tech companies continue to attract investors at a time when medical solutions are needed more than ever. Qiming Venture Partners said that it has established a new $1.1 billion fund to target early stage health care and technology investments, the latest good news sector for biopharma and med-tech startups. Known as the Qiming Venture Partners Fund VII, this $1.1 billion fund draws most of its capital from endowments, foundations, family offices and private pensions.
Two phase III studies in China testing Gilead Sciences Inc.’s antiviral drug, remdesivir, in patients with COVID-19 infection have been halted after Chinese authorities reported a lack of eligible patients. Other studies, including trials sponsored by the Foster City, Calif.-based company, remain ongoing.
BEIJING – After its masks and test kits were said to be sent back by Western countries due to complaints over poor quality, China this week required only NMPA-approved companies export their products and stepped up regulations to ensure quality.
BEIJING – Med-tech firm Shanghai Asclepius Meditec Co. Ltd. says it has developed a hydrogen-oxygen nebulizer that can help relieve the shortage of ventilators.
NEW DELHI - In a bid to limit what is seen as excessive dependence on active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from China, the Indian government has announced a $394 million scheme to promote the development of three bulk drug parks.
Biopharma industry leaders in China who were the first to experience the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic shared their thoughts during a closing plenary session of the virtual Bio-Europe Spring 2020 meeting.
HONG KONG – Chengdu, China-based Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc. has teamed up with Emeryville, Calif.-based Dynavax Technologies Corp. on a research collaboration to develop a vaccine candidate to prevent COVID-19.
BEIJING – The COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily impacted partnerships and investment opportunities, but it has also prompted other forms of collaboration within the biotech community.