Akeso Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s gumokimab (AK-111) and manfidokimab met all primary efficacy endpoints in its phase III trials in active ankylosing spondylitis and in moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, respectively.
Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Daewoong Therapeutics Inc. reported that their self-developed microneedle patch loaded with semaglutide demonstrated 80% relative bioavailability compared to an injectable subcutaneous formulation of semaglutide in a pilot human pharmacokinetic study. That far exceeds rates seen in other patches or oral formulations.
Remegen Co. Ltd.’s telitacicept (RC-18) met the primary endpoint in a phase III trial for treating primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), and the company plans to submit a BLA to China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) on the data.
Beijing Luzhu Biotechnology Co. Ltd.’s shingles vaccine LZ-901 outperformed GSK plc’s Shingrix (HZ/su) vaccine in a head-to-head phase III trial. A recombinant herpes zoster vaccine candidate independently developed by Luzhu, LZ-901 is the company’s core product.
Alterity Therapeutics Ltd. helped develop a new neuroimaging biomarker called the multiple system atrophy index (MSA-AI), which looks to be a more reliable biomarker for tracking disease progression of MSA.
A glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor dual agonist developed by Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. and licensed by Kailera Therapeutics Inc. has shown a mean weight loss of 19.2% at the 6-mg dose with no plateau over 48 weeks in a phase III trial conducted in China.
The Australian government has awarded nearly AU$100 million (US$64.65 million) in grant funding to three biopharma/med-tech incubators to support emerging Australian biopharma and med-tech startups.
SML Biopharm Co. Ltd. is harnessing mRNA technology to develop novel immunotherapy-based cancer vaccines, including two candidates for cervical and head and neck cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
Livzon Mabpharm Inc.’s anti-IL-17A/F monoclonal antibody, LZM-012, met the primary endpoint in a phase III trial in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Conducted at Fudan University’s Huashan Hospital, the phase III multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled (secukinumab) trial enrolled 926 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
China has proved to be a fertile ground for innovation as evidenced by some big deals in the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) space, and the number of candidates entering clinical trials in China or being advanced in the U.S. by Chinese companies.