Biopharma happenings in Asia-Pacific including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief:Arcus, Ensol, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Moderna, Spine Biopharma, Taiho.
Seoul, South Korea-based Genexine Co. Ltd. plans to merge with privately held EPD Biotherapeutics Co. Ltd. by October 2024 to build a pipeline of novel targeted protein degradation therapeutics with EPD Bio’s BioPROTAC platform technology.
Lotte Biologics Co. Ltd. broke ground on its contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) plant at its Songdo Bio Campus in Incheon, South Korea, on July 3 to grow its production capacity and set “a new standard” for Korean CDMOs in the global market.
Altos Biologics Inc., founded as an eye disease-focused subsidiary of Alteogen Inc. in 2020, raised ₩24.5 billion (US$17.7 million) in a series B financing round to advance its pipeline of therapeutics for eye-related conditions, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Daejeon, South Korea-based Alteogen said July 9 that the funds raised will be funneled to develop OP-01, Altos’ candidate therapy for AMD.
Nanjing, China-based Iaso Biotherapeutics Co. Ltd. has bought out global rights to human anti-B cell maturation antigen CAR T Fucaso (equecabtagene autoleucel) from partner Innovent Biologics Inc.
Confidence in working with Chinese biopharma companies has dropped by 30% to 50% for U.S.-based life sciences companies, with Chinese contract development and manufacturing organizations the hardest hit, according to a recent LEK survey of global life sciences companies on the impact of the pending U.S. Biosecure Act.
On the heels of positive phase II results of its extended-release ketamine (R-107) in treatment-resistant depression, Douglas Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is gearing up to begin phase III trials of its ketamine treatment that is safe enough to take at home without clinical supervision.
Biopharma financings reached $70.09 billion in the first half of 2024, a 129% increase from the $30.57 billion raised in the first half of 2023. At more than $70 billion, this year's financings are already approaching the full-year total of $70.97 billion for 2023. June saw $7.57 billion in total financings, a decrease from $9.15 billion in May.
Biocity Biopharmaceutics Co. Ltd.’s selective endothelin receptor type A antagonist, SC-0062, met the primary endpoint of reducing proteinuria in a phase II chronic kidney disease trial. The candidate showed a clinically meaningful and statistically significant reduction in proteinuria, with a clear dose-response relationship and good safety profile.
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