SAN DIEGO – Ambitious venture funds from Russia, China and India are seeking a growing stake in U.S. companies, creating new access to capital for startups. Though offering value beyond money to both investors and the recipients of their funds, international venture capitalists speaking at BIO 2017 said cultural and political frictions can still create challenges. Read More

LONDON – Astellas Pharma Ltd.'s one-year suspension from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Association (ABPI) has been extended for a further 12 months, with a warning that the Tokyo-based company faces expulsion if further checks, due in October 2017, do not show compliance. Read More

KARACHI, Pakistan – Despite strict laws by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan that make smuggling medicines into the country a crime punishable by a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment, the problem remains rife. Read More

HONG KONG – Tessa Therapeutics Pte. Ltd. stumbled upon a biomarker, which it contended could make a huge difference in predicting patient reaction to treatment and survival rates. Tessa's Chief Scientific Officer John Connolly said, "The biomarker can reveal how a patient responds to cancer treatment and it can be used to predict the patient's survival rate. It works based on the protein signature from myeloid-derived suppressor cells [MDSC]." Read More

Hutchison China Meditech Ltd. (Chi-Med), of Hong Kong, said the first patient was dosed in a phase I/II trial of HMPL-453, a small-molecule inhibitor targeting fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR), in China. The phase I portion will evaluate HMPL-453 in a dose-escalation stage that will enroll patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors, for whom standard therapy either does not exist or has proved to be ineffective or intolerable, regardless of genetic status, to determine the maximum tolerated dose and recommended phase II dose (PR2D). Read More

Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, appointed Caroline Walkinshaw executive director, market intelligence and analytics, marketing strategy, and Jacquelyn Bonnell national vice president, oncology sales for the U.S. commercial organization. Walkinshaw began her career at Astellas in 2011 as director of U.S. market intelligence. She formerly served as senior director of global market intelligence and commercial analysis. She joined Astellas following a 13-year career at Pfizer. Read More