Visus Therapeutics Inc. has out-licensed phase III candidates Brimochol and Carbachol to Hong Kong’s Zhaoke Ophthalmology Ltd. to develop and commercialize its long-acting, presbyopia-correcting eye drops in greater China, South Korea and select Southeast Asian territories.

Beigene Ltd. reported that its global phase III trial of PD-1 inhibitor tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy met the primary endpoint of overall survival in first-line advanced esophageal cancer.

Computational disease modeling company Cytoreason Ltd. is expanding its reach into Asia with a recent partnership with South Korean big data company Helixrus Inc., which is focused on biological big data and multiomics. The alliance will focus on leveraging Helixrus’ deep knowledge of the South Korean pharmaceutical market, and extensive network of relationships in Asian markets, to highlight Cytoreason’s capabilities in prioritizing new targets, finding biomarkers, profiling combinations, stratifying patients and other use cases within the drug lifecycle.

Researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan have shown in mouse models that idiopathic autism could be caused by epigenetic abnormalities in hematopoietic cells during fetal development which resulted in immune dysregulation in the brain and gut.

Beigene Ltd. reported that its global phase III trial of PD-1 inhibitor tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy met the primary endpoint of overall survival in first-line advanced esophageal cancer.

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration will begin conducting routine risk-based good clinical practices (GCP) inspections for clinical trials of drugs and biologics. The agency outlined in final guidance how it would prioritize inspections, what the process would look like and how it would report and follow up on inspections.

China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) gave the green light to Pfizer Inc.’s third-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor, Lorbrena (lorlatinib), for patients with ALK-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

After raising $17 million in seed funding, immunotherapy-focused biotech company, LTZ Therapeutics Inc., is announcing plans for the fledgling company whose acronym stands for “Lift to Zenith.” CEO and co-founder Robert Li told BioWorld that the company’s three-tiered immunotherapy platform will focus on reducing immunosuppression, reprogramming innate immunity and modulating adaptive immunity.

Cochlear Ltd. will acquire Danish hearing implant company Oticon Medical A/S for AU$170 million (US$121 million) after parent company the Demant Group said it planned to exit its hearing implants business. Cochlear CEO Dig Howitt said that Oticon Medical is expected to add AU$75 to AU$80 million to Sydney-based Cochlear’s annual revenue, although Oticon Medical is currently “loss making.” In 2021, Demant’s hearing Implants saw revenue of $73 million.