In a deal that could be worth up to $937.5 million, Biogen Inc. licensed rights to phase II-stage, brain-penetrant BTK inhibitor orelabrutinib from Innocare Pharma Ltd. for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and autoimmune diseases. It’s the first mega out-licensing deal for the Chinese firm, which will receive $125 million up front and is eligible to receive up to $812.5 million in potential development milestones and commercial payments, plus tiered royalties in the low to high teens on potential future net sales. Read More
Brii Biosciences Ltd. raised HK$2.482 billion (US$319 million) in its IPO in Hong Kong and will use the proceeds to support the development of its key assets, which includes programs for hepatitis B virus (HBV), HIV and drug-resistant infections. Read More
Keymed Biosciences Inc. debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE) on July 8, raising HK$2.94 billion (US$378.48 million) in the process. The company will use the funds raised for the R&D and commercialization of key pipeline candidates. Read More
LONDON – The World Health Organization (WHO) is to set up a channel for confidential reporting of illegal, unregistered, unethical or unsafe human genome editing research, as part of a new governance framework it is proposing to develop. Read More
In infectious disease research, most of the research into genetic determinants of susceptibility to infection and disease severity are focused on the host. For COVID-19, for example, the delta variant’s infectivity, and how likely infection is to lead to severe disease, is the focus of an intense research agenda. But host genetics, too, contribute to the consequences of infections. An ongoing study into the host genetics of SARS-CoV-2 infection has identified 13 such factors that affected either the likelihood of contracting SARS-CoV-2, or the severity of disease, gleaned from the data of 50,000 infected persons and 2 million controls. Read More
PERTH, Australia – Following a AU$85 million (US$64.41 million) capital raise, Qbiotics Group Ltd. is progressing its oncology clinical program for lead candidate tigilanol tiglate, a natural product that is isolated from the seed of the Australian rainforest native shrub Fontainea.
PERTH, Australia – Amaroq Therapeutics Ltd., a spinout out of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, has launched after securing NZ$14 million (US$9.7 million) in seed funding to develop long non-coding RNAs to treat breast, colorectal and liver cancer. Read More
I-Mab Biopharma Co. Ltd. announced collaborations with mRNA biotech company Immorna (Hangzhou) Biotechnology Co. Ltd. and AI-enabled R&D company Neox Biotech Co. Ltd., gaining access to transformative technologies to discover and develop oncology therapeutics. Read More
Fresh from showcasing preliminary evidence for the tolerability and potential benefits of LVGN-6051 at ASCO’s annual meeting in June, Lyvgen Biopharma Holdings Co. Ltd. is gearing up to move its CD40 agonist LVGN-7409 to clinical trials in China after initial U.S. patient dosing. Read More
Biopharma happenings in Asia-Pacific, such as deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief, including: ABL, Aim Immunotech, Algernon, Arctic Vision, Beigene, Bioeq, Biological E, Bionomics, Biontech, Biophytis, Corat, Defence, Denovo, Dermapharm, Dynavax Technologies, Eisbach, Everest Medicines, Exscientia, Hummingbird, I-Mab, Immorna, Innovent, Inveniai, Laekna Therapeutics Shanghai, Lundbeck, M8, Marinomed, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Moderna, Neox, Nicox, Novamind, Ocumension, Open Orphan, Pfizer, Pierre Fabre, Puretech Health, SAB, Sinovac, SK Chemicals, Sosei, Spero, Standigm, Tetherex, Teva, Y-biologics. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations in Asia-Pacific, including: Beigene, Hangzhou Chance, Humanigen, Immutep, Innovent, Janssen-Cilag International, Moderna, Opthea, Recipharm, Replicel Life Sciences, Sciclone, Y-Mabs, Zydus Cadila. Read More
