Big pharma is increasingly shopping in China to fill its pipelines as it faces looming patent cliffs on major blockbusters coupled with growing pricing pressures on drugs. As previously reported by BioWorld, China’s out-licensing deals grew to represent 32% of global deals in the first half of 2025, up from 21% in 2024, and only 5% in 2020, Jefferies Hong Kong-based analyst Cui Cui wrote in a July 2025 report on China dealmaking.
Regulatory snapshots, including drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations in Asia-Pacific: Abpro, Adagene, Antengene, Astrazeneca, Celltrion.
Clinical updates from Asia, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Ascletis, Astellas, Innocare, Innovent, Neuexcell, Radiopharm, Sol-Gel, Takeda, .
Biopharmas in Asia-Pacific raising money in public or private financings: Allink Biotherapeutics, Orum Therapeutics, Rezubio, Syremis Therapeutics, Syneron.
Things once done in laboratories can now be done with computers and AI, said Kim Woo-youn, CEO and cofounder of Hits Inc. “We live in the age of ‘digital alchemy,’” Kim told BioWorld, describing how AI is shifting some drug discovery processes from physical to virtual spaces.
ADEL Inc. closed a year-end licensing deal worth up to $1.04 billion with Sanofi SA for ADEL-Y01, a specific tau-targeting Alzheimer’s disease drug candidate in a U.S. phase I study.
Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd.’s radiotracer RAD-101 met the primary endpoint in 92% of patients in the phase IIb imaging trial in brain metastases, according to interim results. To date, 11 of the 12 patients treated with RAD-101 (F18-Pivalate) achieved concordance with MRI (the primary endpoint) as assessed by PET imaging of brain metastases. The results showed significant and selective tumor uptake, and images confirm metabolic activity in brain metastases compared to equivocal MRI findings.
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” seems to be the motto of U.S. lawmakers – at least when it comes to the bipartisan Biosecure Act. After missing a ride last year in the must-pass annual defense spending bill, a version of the bill that seeks to protect the genetic data of Americans while securing U.S. pharmaceutical supply chains made it into the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which is now just a Senate vote away from becoming law.
Experience gained in the Asia-Pacific region is helping shape the Menarini Group’s global strategy as the Italian pharmaceutical company looks to emerging markets to drive long-term, sustainable growth.
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