Financings are on the rise in Hong Kong as a number of Chinese pharmaceutical companies announced capital raisings, including Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Ltd., Qyuns Therapeutics Co., Ltd., Harbour Biomed Ltd. and Cutia Therapeutics.

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved Moderna Inc.’s Spikevax LP.8.1 vaccine as an updated shot for COVID-19 targeting the LP.8.1 variant, according to Moderna Korea’s announcement Sept. 1. The regulatory clearance comes days after the U.S. FDA accepted, on Aug. 27, Moderna’s supplemental BLAs for two of its COVID-19 vaccines, Spikevax and Mnexspike.

Charm Therapeutics Ltd. is heading to the clinic after closing an oversubscribed series B, which will fund initial development of a menin inhibitor that is AI-designed to circumvent shortcomings of first-generation molecules.