HONG KONG – Kangstem Biotech Co. Ltd. has completed research on South Korea’s first artificial liver and is taking the next steps towards the device’s clinical trials. The research outcome was published in a paper authored by Kyung-Sun Kang, CEO at Kangstem, and his team titled ‘Development of highly functional bioengineered human liver with perfusable vasculature’ in Biomaterials.
Ocular Therapeutix Inc. and Affamed Therapeutics Ltd. entered a license and collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize Dextenza and OTX-TIC in greater China, South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations markets.
HONG KONG – Cstone Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. inked a licensing agreement with Legochem Biosciences Inc. for LCB-71, the latter’s antibody-drug conjugate.
PERTH, Australia – Opthea Ltd. completed a $128.2 million IPO on the U.S. Nasdaq market, which will fund two phase III trials in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and bring the company’s lead candidate, OPT-302, to market if successful.
Gracell Biotechnologies Inc. has closed a $100 million series C financing round to advance its CAR T-cell therapy candidates, including autologous product candidate, GC-012F, and allogeneic product candidate, GC-027. Both candidates are in investigator-initiated phase I trials in China.
PERTH, Australia – With the approval of cystic fibrosis treatment Bronchitol (mannitol), Sydney-based Pharmaxis Ltd. joins a small group of elite Australian biotech companies to take their drugs all the way to FDA approval.
HONG KONG – Aprinoia Therapeutics Inc. is poised to start phase III clinical trials for its positron emission tomography (PET) imaging tracer 18F-APN-1607 in China, after receiving the green light from the National Medical Products Administration.
CAR T therapy developer JW Therapeutics Co. Ltd. launched a HK$2.325 billion (US$300 million) IPO in Hong Kong by issuing 97.7 million shares at HK$23.8 apiece on Nov 3. The listing is set to help the company’s march toward the goal of winning the first CAR T product approval in China.