HONG KONG – Australian investment company Brandon Capital closed the largest life science fund to date in Australia after raising A$200 million (US$155 million). Brandon plans to use the capital to fill a shortage in the country of translational funds that put expertise into commercializing medical discoveries. Read More

SHANGHAI – In its seventh year, the Chinabio Partnering Forum is the most active partnering event in China, akin to the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. Even after a tough year for Western companies with corruption probes rattling the industry and regulatory hurdles inching ever higher, "big pharmas are still committed to China," said Greg Scott, founder and chairman of the Chinabio Group. Read More

SHANGHAI – Any discussion of innovative biologics at the recent Chinabio Forum inevitably brought up biosimilars; it is difficult to have one without the other, probably because local companies of any size or staying power developing biologics take that twin strategy, filling their pipelines with biosimilars, whether me-too or bio-better, along with a smattering of novel candidates. Read More

HONG KONG —The discovery of cancer-associated functions of a ligase enzyme and the gene encoding for it by researchers from Singapore, China and the U.S. may lead to the development of a new approach to the treatment of glioma. Read More

BOGOTA, Colombia – A visit by Agustin Laje to Beijing earlier this month has helped cement ties between Cuba and China, particularly in terms of exploring biotech opportunities. Read More

New FDA fast track status for Medicinova Inc.'s phase II nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) drug MN-001 (tipelukast) invigorated the company's U.S.-listed shares (NASDAQ:MNOV), pushing them 41.3 percent higher to $4.96 in heavy trading Thursday as investors warmed to the company's chances for gaining FDA approval to treat the chronic liver condition, for which no drug is currently approved. Read More