HONG KONG – Hong Kong-based cancer drugmaker Hutchison China Meditech Ltd. (Chi-Med) filed its third IPO, seeking a listing on the Hong Kong Exchange (HKEX) after getting listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and on Nasdaq. The HK IPO follows a major milestone for the company, which won regulatory approval in China for innovative cancer drug Elunate (fruquintinib) last year. Read More
HONG KONG – SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., a spin-off from Korean conglomerate SK Holdings Co. Ltd., inked a joint research agreement with Twoxar Inc., a U.S.-based artificial intelligence (AI)-driven biopharma, to discover and develop drugs for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Read More
RNAi therapeutics developer Sirnaomics Inc. closed the second tranche of a $47 million series C financing with a $22 million investment led by CR-CP Life Sciences Fund, a Hong Kong-based joint venture established by China Resources Group and Charoen Pokphand Group in January. Proceeds from the round will support advancement of Sirnaomics' lead candidate, a siRNA-inhibiting polymeric nanoparticle therapy it is evaluating for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Read More
HONG KONG – Hong Kong-based companies Aptorum Group Ltd. and Aeneas Capital Ltd. have signed a $90 million deal with Singapore-based A*ccelerate Technologies Pte Ltd. to develop ventures in the health care and life sciences sector. Read More
HONG KONG – Chinese integrated health care group Golden Meditech Holding Ltd. has partnered up with Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)'s biology department to conduct research in the area of cell therapy with an aim to treat neurodegenerative diseases with stem cells. Read More
Gracell Biotechnologies Co. Ltd., of Shanghai, said it has developed FasT CAR-T, a platform that shortens the manufacturing time of CAR T treatments from two weeks to one day. FasT CAR-T also lowers manufacturing costs to a fraction of previous CAR T therapies, while showing higher potency of CD19-directed FasT CAR-T in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in vitro and in vivo. A first-in-human trial is ongoing. Read More
Canbridge Life Sciences Ltd., of Beijing, appointed Glenn Hassan chief financial officer and chief business officer and Gerald F. Cox chief development strategist and interim chief medical officer. Read More
Satsuma Pharmaceuticals Inc. CEO John Kollins told BioWorld Asia the migraine space may be in a stage of development similar to the depression therapeutic area before the advent of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and his firm's dry-powder inhaled STS-101 (dihydroergotamine [DHE]) could help turn the corner in acute treatment of headaches. Read More
