SHANGHAI – Xin Chun Kuai Le! Kung Hei Fat Choi! The first is Mandarin for “Happy Spring Festival.” The second is the Cantonese equivalent of “Wishing you prosperity.”

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, said Takeda Development Center Shanghai and Takeda Development Center Asia Pte. Ltd. started the Phase III TOURMALINE-MM1 global study with the oral proteasome inhibitor, ixazomib, in relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma.

Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., of Tokyo, appointed Mahmoud Ghazzi global head of drug development. Ghazzi is now responsible for all drug development-related activities globally and will maintain his current role as head of the Americas Region.

Qu Biologics Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, has been granted Australian Patent No. 2007308721, related to tissue-targeted activation of the immune response for cancer treatment.

HONG KONG – South Korea’s Celltrion Inc. (KOSDAQ:068270) successfully added another biosimilar to its portfolio, giving breast cancer patients there a cheaper alternative and securing the company’s leading position in the biosimilar monoclonal antibody (MAb) market.

HONG KONG – Biosimilars are in the spotlight in Indonesia after the government introduced new regulations and one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Southeast Asia based there said it would consider making this category of drugs its focus going forward.

Anergis SA, of Epalinges, Switzerland, was issued Japanese patent No. 5389326 for its Contiguous Overlapping Peptide (COP) technology, which is used to develop allergy vaccines.

Amarantus Bioscience Holdings Inc., of San Francisco, completed the in-licensure of Eltoprazine from PGI Drug Discovery LLC, giving it worldwide rights except for Asian territories. The company plans to start a Phase IIb trial this year to treat Levadopa-induced dyskinesia associated with Parkinson’s disease. Eltoprazine is a 5HT1a/1b partial agonist small-molecule drug candidate.

SHANGHAI – Mezzion Pharma Co. Ltd., of Seoul, South Korea, has signed an agreement with New England Research Institutes Inc. (NERI) to conduct government-sponsored clinical trials for udenafil. A long-acting phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor first approved in Korea and Russia for erectile dysfunction, udenafil will be trialed as a treatment for adolescents who face shortened lifespans due to reduced heart function due to congenital heart defects.