HONG KONG – Venture capital investment into most sectors in China has generally plunged throughout the COVID-19 pandemic but biotechnology has been a noticeable exception. China’s biotech industry has continued to attract investors, not only because of its importance in dealing with the pandemic but also as a result of increased maturity and a growing list of government incentives. Read More
With the economy and public health on the line, U.S. President Donald Trump thumped his Made in America pulpit again Thursday on a campaign swing through Ohio, in which he vowed to bring the pharmaceutical supply chain home over the next four years. Read More
PERTH, Australia – Australian regenerative medicine company Mesoblast Ltd. saw its stock tumble more than 30% following the release of briefing documents from the FDA ahead of an Aug. 13 advisory committee meeting to review the company’s BLA for Ryoncil (remestemcel-L) for steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease (SR-aGVHD) in children. Read More
Astrazeneca plc has reached an agreement with Shenzhen-based Kangtai Biological Products Co. Ltd. to produce its COVID-19 vaccine AZD-1222 in China. The Chinese firm is required to produce at least 100 million doses by the end of the year, and at least 200 million doses by the end of 2021. Read More
KARACHI, Pakistan – Geopolitics and a fraught relationship with its neighbors are hurting Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry and the ability of people to access active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and modern drugs. Read More
HONG KONG – The recent approval of all-oral hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug RDV/DNV, a combination of Asclevir (ravidasvir) and Ganovo (danoprevir), helped boost shares of Ascletis Pharma Inc. (HK:1672), which ended July with a 10% jump to HK$3.36 (US43 cents), as the Hangzhou, China-based company continues to push its pipeline of treatments forward and improve its outlook. Read More
HONG KONG – Osaka, Japan-based Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has obtained positive top-line data in its phase III study of a combination of Opdivo (nivolumab, Bristol Myers Squibb Co.) and bevacizumab in lung cancer patients. Read More
HONG KONG – Tel Aviv-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. has inked an exclusive strategic agreement with Reykjavik, Iceland-based Alvotech hf to commercialize five biosimilar product candidates in the U.S. Read More
HONG KONG – Following positive phase II data on Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s once-weekly GLP-1/glucagon receptor dual agonist, efinopegdutide, in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the Seoul-based company has exclusively licensed the drug to Kenilworth, N.J.-based Merck & Co. Inc. for the indication. Read More
PERTH, Australia – Patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (r/r AML) who have received three or more lines of therapy are often too sick to get much-needed bone marrow transplants and often run out of options. Read More
News from Biogen Inc. and partner Eisai Co. Ltd. that U.S. regulators accepted the BLA related to aducanumab for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) – and assigned it priority review, no less – set Wall Street abuzz. Read More
Out of 922 biopharma financings so far in 2020, nearly a quarter of them – 211 – were done by companies working on a COVID-19 therapeutic or vaccine. Read More
Biopharmas in Asia-Pacific raising money in public or private financings, including: Anheart, Curevac, Myovant Sciences, Sumitomo Dainippon, Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tiziana Life Sciences, Transgene, Tasly, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations in Asia-Pacific, including: Ana, Anavex Life Sciences, Appili, Biogen, Biophytis, Canbridge, Cytodyn, Deciphera, Diurnal, Eisai, Gilead Sciences, Hutchison China Meditech, I-Mab, Kazia, Neurorx, Organicell Regenerative Medicine, Pluristem, Redhill, Relief, Revive, Vaxart. Read More
