HONG KONG – The China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) has approved the first novel monoclonal antibody (MAb) in China with global intellectual property rights. Compaq Sipp ophthalmic injection (conbercept), a VEGF receptor antagonist, for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), joins similar biologics – such as Avastin (bevacizumab) and Lucentis (ranibizumab) with blockbuster sales potential.
HONG KONG – The market for expensive blood products in China is attracting biotech companies looking to boost their bottom lines, but a surge in imports, driven by high supply levels abroad, is pressuring the bottom lines of domestic suppliers.
HONG KONG – Multinational biopharmaceutical companies are looking beyond China and paying more attention to emerging markets in Asia, even as local companies are looking outward from their home markets and using biosimilars as their ladders to climb up to the global market.
By partnering with one of the top pharmaceutical companies in China, Dutch brain drug developer To-BBB Technologies BV is expanding its pipeline and looking to gain access to the Chinese market.
HONG KONG – The U.S. FDA plans to add 10 more investigators to its China office to enhance its monitoring of Chinese exports of pharmaceuticals to the U.S.
HONG KONG – A leading UK-based cancer drug developer and a Chinese university research institute have announced plans to work together to develop a new leukemia drug that may have a number of other uses.
HONG KONG – Recent investments by global life sciences companies in Seoul underscores the newfound emphasis that South Korea is putting on the development of biotechnology as a key emerging industry.
HONG KONG – Fueled in part by proposed policy reforms, biotech and health care stocks in China and Hong Kong bourses have shown signs of life since a very significant meeting of Communist Party leaders in Beijing two weeks ago.
