Biotron Ltd., of Sydney, received a notice of allowance for U.S. Patent application 11/922,281, “Antiviral Compounds and Methods,” for the composition and methods of treatment with its antiviral compound BIT225. BIT225 is in a phase II trial in HCV genotype 3 patients.

Alchemia Ltd., of Brisbane, Australia, appointed Santo J. Costa as non-executive chairman of the board, effective March 1. Over a 30 year period, some of Costa’s positions included president and chief operating officer of Quintiles Transnational Corp. and senior vice president, administration and general counsel of Glaxo Inc.

Sorrento Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, obtained exclusive rights to Cynviloq (Genexol-PM) in Australia, Canada and Mexico from Samyang Biopharmaceuticals, of South Korea. Sorrento already has exclusive rights from Samyang in the U.S. and the 27 European Union countries. Cynviloq is a next-generation branded paclitaxel formulation to treat metastatic breast cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and other solid tumors.

HONG KONG – Most of Favrille Inc.’s market value vanished in 2008 after the firm said it would cease development of its active immunotherapy Specifid, which missed its primary endpoint in a pivotal phase III study in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Almost a year later, San Diego-based Favrille merged with MyMedical-Records.com. The company once best known for providing health care IT services is just now stepping up its push into the biotechnology space in Asia.

SHANGHAI – The anti-corruption storm last summer that engulfed much of the biopharmaceutical industry here – with Glaxosmithkline plc at the center – was a game changer for China, primarily due to the amount of information released about the case from the very the beginning, contrary to what one would expect from the usually opaque Chinese government.

HONG KONG – China remains an attractive and generally profitable market for biopharmaceutical companies with the right products.

Sciclone Pharmaceuticals Inc. named Charles Meng general counsel and vice president of compliance. Meng will be based in Shanghai. Meng was general legal counsel and chief compliance officer for Novartis Group, Beijing, in the pharmaceutical division. Prior to that, Meng was chief legal officer of China Bluestar, also in Beijing.

Biondvax Pharmaceuticals Ltd., of Nes Ziona, Israel, received approval from Hong Kong’s patent office to register its patent covering Multimeric Multiepitopes for the company’s universal flu vaccine.

Pharmaessentia Corp., of Taiwan, and Kinex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Buffalo, N.Y., said they executed a new licensing agreement granting Pharmaessentia exclusive development and commercial rights to Oraxol and Oratecan in Taiwan and Singapore. Kinex will receive an undisclosed up-front payment, milestones and royalties, and Pharmaessentia also agreed to conduct clinical studies in Taiwan to contribute to the global registration programs for the drugs.