HONG KONG, BEIJING and CAJICA, Colombia – Anvisa, Brazil’s health care surveillance agency, has halted the final-stage trials for Beijing, China-based Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate Coronavac after a serious adverse event occurred on Oct. 29 and was communicated to the regulator. Anvisa then evaluated the data and suspended the trials after weighing the risk-benefit of continuing them in the country, it said. Read More
Yantai, China-based biologics developer Remegen Ltd. launched the biggest pre-revenue biotech IPO in Hong Kong this year by raising HK$3.99 billion ($514.5 million) on Nov 9. With this IPO, Remegen’s CEO Jianmin Fang told BioWorld in an exclusive interview, the company aims to take its assets abroad. Read More
Fochon Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a subsidiary of Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., out-licensed FCN-338, a BCL-2 inhibitor, to Eli Lilly and Co. for an up-front payment of $40 million along with milestones and royalties. The deal marks another example of Chinese biotech companies reversing the licensing flow. Read More
HONG KONG – Humanigen Inc. has executed its first licensing agreement in the Asia-Pacific region, in a deal worth up to $20 million that gives Telcon RF Pharmaceutical Inc. and KPM Tech Co. Ltd. the development and commercialization rights to lenzilumab for COVID-19 in South Korea and the Philippines. Read More
HONG KONG – Pangyo, South Korea-based SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has agreed to collaborate with New York-based Lifesci Venture Partners to invest in private health care companies developing novel therapies and innovative technologies. Read More
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) said that it would fund a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine under development by Sichuan Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of Chengdu, China. Read More
HONG KONG – Incheon, South Korea-based Celltrion Inc. has gleaned positive results in a small early stage trial for its anti-COVID-19 monoclonal antibody CT-P59. The results were presented at the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases’ 2020 fall conference, which took place on Nov. 5. Read More
Biopharmas in Asia-Pacific raising money in public or private financings, including: Fountain Healthcare Partners, Inmagene, Inotrem, Kyowa Kirin, Mainstay Medical Holdings, Memo, Patrys, Priothera, Vaxil Bio. Read More
Biopharma happenings in Asia-Pacific, such as deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief, including: Arcturus, Astrazeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridge, Capricor, Crescita, Generex, GPCR, Humanigen, Juyou, Metriopharm, Neoleukin, Novavax, Om, Ose Immunotherapeutics, Qualigen, Sichuan Clover, Taigen, Taiwan Liposome, Vir, Wuxi Apptec. Read More
Clinical updates from Asia, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications, including: Agenus, Arch, Arcturus, Celltrion, Daewoong, Eisai, Humanigen, Immunitybio, Inmune, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Neurorx, Novartis, Pfizer, Relief, Sheba Medical Center. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations in Asia-Pacific, including: Asieris, Astellas, Basilea, Beigene, Eusa, Shenzhen China Resources Gosun, Lianbio, Novavax, Senhwa, Sorrento. Read More