With $20 million raised in a series B round led by Brandon Capital and Tenmile, Aravax Pty Ltd. is poised to begin phase II trials of its immunotherapy, PVX-108, for peanut allergy.
Sciclone Pharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd. has obtained marketing approval in China for Danyelza (naxitamab) for patients with relapsed or refractory high-risk neuroblastoma. The drug, in combination with granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, was approved to treat pediatric patients aged 1 and above, as well as adults, who have relapsed or refractory high-risk neuroblastoma in the bone or bone marrow and have demonstrated a partial or minor response to prior therapy or stable disease.
South Korea’s Legochem Bioscience Inc. inked a licensing deal with Amgen Inc. on Dec. 23 for five undisclosed antibody drug conjugate (ADC) targets worth up to ₩1.6 trillion (US$1.24 billion). Under the terms of the deal, Legochem will out-license global rights to Amgen for five undisclosed ADC targets and will receive an undisclosed up-front payment as well as development milestones and sales royalties. The companies did not disclose additional details.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.'s oral antiviral, maribavir, failed to meet the primary endpoint of noninferiority compared to Roche Holding AG’s valganciclovir in the phase III Aurora study for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. The multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled study was to form the basis for a future label expansion for the therapy.
Two deals for antibody-drug conjugates inked since May between Merck & Co. Inc. and Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have blossomed eight months later into the year’s biggest agreement, one that could bring Kelun-Biotech up to $9.3 billion in development, regulatory and sales milestones. The exclusive license and collaboration deal has Merck paying an up-front $175 million to Kelun-Biotech plus promising to make an equity investment in the Sichuan, China-based company.
Biopharma happenings in Asia-Pacific, such as deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Astrazeneca, Beigene, Binnopharm, Catalyst, Diosynvax, Eisai, Ethris, Inflarx, Jazz, Mabwell, Merck, Novan, Pfizer, RQ, Sato, Sosei, Staidson, Zymeworks.
Clinical updates from Asia, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Ascletis, Astrazeneca, Bionomics, Dr. Reddy’s, Regimmune, RQ, Simcere, Sirnaomics, Takeda.
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