In a deal that could bring the company as much as $1.04 billion, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Inc. will collaborate with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to co-develop and co-commercialize an investigational RNAi-based liver disease treatment. Arrowhead’s candidate, ARO-AAT, is designed to reduce mutant alpha-1 antitrypsin protein production, which causes the disease to progress. Arrowhead will receive a $300 million up-front payment on closing in addition to development, regulatory and commercial milestones that could total $740 million. Read More
BEIJING – Three-year-old startup Everest Medicines Ltd. (1952.HK) sold 63 million shares at HK$55 apiece to raise HK$3.49 billion (US$451 million) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Oct 9. Shares were oversubscribed by 654 times in Hong Kong. Read More
BEIJING – Biologics developer Genor Biopharma Co. Ltd. raised HK$2.69 billion (US$347 million) via a pre-revenue IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Oct. 7, with shares (HKEX:6998) trading 16.25% higher to close at HK$27.95. Read More
The appetite for biopharma IPOs this year has been voracious with no signs of a slowdown anytime soon. Year-to-date, a total of $14.63 billion was raised from 66 new global issues, a total that is already well ahead of the $10.7 billion in 2018, from 80 transactions, that represented the previous record for IPOs. In terms of volume, BioWorld has recorded that the highest number of IPOs in a single year was 84 in 2014, followed by 83 in 2000. Read More
Genome editing startup Edigene Inc. has raised RMB450 million ($67 million) in a series B financing round to move two of its programs for blood diseases into clinical trials. The financing round was led by 3H Health Investment, and supported by Sequoia Capital China, Alwin Capital and Kunlun Capital. Previous investors such as IDG Capital, Lilly Asia Venture, Huagai Capital and Green Pine Capital Partners also joined the round. Read More
PERTH, Australia – Astrazeneca plc is leasing 175 Sozo devices from Impedimed Ltd. and plans to put them in 20 countries to run phase II trials for a combination drug that looks at fluid imbalance in the human body in patients with heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease. Read More
HONG KONG – Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has struck an agreement with Ascletis Pharma Inc.’s Gannex arm to develop a combination therapy comprising Ascletis’ ASC-41 and Galmed’s Aramchol (arachidyl amido cholanoic acid) for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Read More
HONG KONG – Belgium-based Bone Therapeutics SA has inked development and commercialization deals for its bone cell therapy platform in Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. Read More
HONG KONG – South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has approved an additional indication for CT-P59, Incheon-based Celltrion Inc.’s anti-COVID-19 monoclonal antibody. Read More
Clinical updates from Asia, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications, including: Astellas, Astrazeneca, Caladrius, Celltrion, Chromadex, CSL Behring, Eli Lilly, Emergent Biosolutions, Gilead Sciences, Glaxosmithkline, Grifols, Napajen, Noxopharm, Redhill Biopharma, Rigel, Seagen, Takeda, University of Oxford, Vir, Zai Lab. Read More
