HONG KONG – Having recently completed the acquisition of Belgium-based Ogeda SA, Astellas Pharma Inc. now has a potentially key drug candidate at its disposal as well as access to new programs to its drug development pipeline, all of which could provide boosts to its bottom line as it deals with an imminent patent cliff. Read More

HONG KONG – Sanofi Pasteur Ltd.'s dengue vaccine has been granted a conditional registration for two years in Malaysia while phase IV studies are carried out. Read More

The approval of Roche Holding AG's Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) last month made it the first FDA-approved multiple sclerosis (MS) drug that provided benefit to patients with primary progressive MS. (See BioWorld Today, March 30, 2017.) Read More

AMSTERDAM – Despite the transformative impact of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in treating hepatitis C virus (HCV), reimbursement for the drugs still faces "considerable restrictions" in Europe, according to research presented Thursday at the International Liver Congress, suggesting that an early challenge for key drugmakers in the space, such as Gilead Sciences Inc. and Abbvie Inc., still endures. Read More

AMSTERDAM – Debate about whether patients taking direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies for hepatitis C viral (HCV) infections are at risk of developing liver cancer after achieving sustained virologic response (SVR) continued unabashed Thursday at the European Association for the Study of the Liver's (EASL) annual International Liver Congress. Read More

AMSTERDAM – The World Health Organization's (WHO) first global report on hepatitis estimates 325 million people worldwide are living with chronic hepatitis B or C virus (HBV or HCV) infections, with the vast majority lacking access to life-saving testing and treatment. The situation has left millions of people at risk of a slow progression to chronic liver disease, cancer and death, it said. Read More

SHANGHAI – Epimab Biotherapeutics Inc., of Shanghai, now has $25 million in its coffers to put its lead candidate into clinical development, a bispecific antibody for oncology. The series A investors hail from China, the U.S. and the U.K., with Oriza Seed Capital taking the lead in addition to Decheng Capital, 3E Bioventures and Trend Investment Group. Read More

Sawai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Tokyo, and Upsher-Smith Laboratories Inc., of Minneapolis, signed a deal for Sawai to purchase the generic pharma business of Upsher-Smith from its parent, Acova Inc. Under the terms, Sawai will purchase all the equity interest in the generic pharma business for consideration of $1.05 billion. The deal is set to close near the end of June. Read More