HONG KONG – It is not surprising that Tokyo-based Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co. Ltd. wants to hold on to Nesp (darbepoetin alfa), an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent used as a treatment for improving renal anemia, when the patent expires in 2019. Read More

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Calling its recent FDA orphan designation for small-molecule drug CX-4945 in cholangiocarcinoma an important milestone in its development and regulatory strategy, 2012 startup Senhwa Biosciences Inc. enters 2017 with plans for an uplisting on the Taiwan stock exchange and hopes for restoring investor enthusiasm for Taiwan's biopharma sector. Read More

Neovia Oncology Ltd., of Beijing, said it started a phase I trial of lead candidate NEV-801, a multi-inhibitor drug designed to enhance immunotherapy response in patients with advanced, drug-resistant cancers. NEV-801 is a conjugated compound made from an alkaloid isolated from the Chinese tree Camptotheca acuminate and podophyllotoxin derived from the roots of the may apple plant that grows in the wild in North America. Combined, it becomes a simultaneous inhibitor of topoisomerase I and topoisomerase II activity, HIF-1 transcriptional activation, and hypoxic induction of VEGF mRNA and protein expression, targeting Werner syndrome protein. Read More

HONG KONG – With five drugs in its pipeline and a deal with big pharma worth tens of millions of dollars, Singapore drug developer Aslan Pharmaceuticals Pte Ltd. aims to tap the markets in Taiwan, looking to overcome some flagging investor sentiment on biopharma. Read More

NEW DELHI – A significant boost to India's Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in the country's latest budget has nevertheless left the domestic industry unimpressed and unenthused, with critics noting there are few new incentives to help the sector. Read More