Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. has acquired a 73% stake of Antejin Biotech Co. Ltd. in a merger and acquisition deal worth up to ¥4.006 billion (US$626.2 million) to expand its pipeline in the field of bacterial vaccines. To kick off, Shanghai-based Fosun purchased about 32.52% equity interest in Antejin from nine shareholders for about ¥1.108 billion in cash. Read More
Shanghai Pharmaceutical Holding Co. Ltd. out-licensed global rights of its antitumor small-molecule chemical drug, SPH-6162, to U.S.-based Huya Bioscience International LLC in a deal worth up to $292.5 million, plus a sales commission of 3% to 6%. Read More
Shouti Inc. raised $100 million in a series B round led by BVF Partners LP to advance its discovery platform for designing oral medicines and to speed up the development of its candidates. The Shanghai and California-based company has secured a total of $158 million in funding so far. Read More
Aculys Pharma Inc. closed its $60 million series A financing round, with the funds to be used to develop pitolisant (Wakix), a selective histamine H3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist, in Japan. Read More
Antengene Corp. Ltd. has formed a partnership with Legochem Biosciences Inc. to jointly develop new antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) primarily for cancer. The partners will integrate antibodies from Antengene with Legochem’s ADC technology. Read More
PERTH, Australia – Investment in regenerative medicine in Australia in 2020 was AU$394.1 million (US295.8 million), accounting for nearly 23% of the overall capital invested in the Australian biotech sector, according to a new report published by Australia’s Regenerative Medicine Consortium. Read More
Plants could be an alternative vaccine platform for both COVID-19 and future pandemics, shaking up a biologics sector that is currently mostly protein-based. South Korean company Bioapplications Inc., for example, is aiming to have a plant-derived booster shot for COVID-19 in the clinic in 2022. Read More
Clinical updates from Asia, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: ABVC, Alphamab Oncology, Anheart, Arca, Astrazeneca, Canbridge, Cytodyn, Daiichi Sankyo, Hutchmed, Innovent Biologics, Meissa Vaccines, Moderna, Novatek, Olipass, Revive, Sorrento, Todos Medical, Vaxart, Vicore. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations in Asia-Pacific: Akebia, Angel, Antengene, Axcella Health, Bharat Biotech International, Biontech, China Oncology Focus, Cocrystal, Coherus, Corvus, Gannex, Immunoforge, Immutep, Impact, Junshi, Merck, Moderna, Novavax, Ocugen, Oramed, Pfizer, RDIF, Recce, Ridgeback, Serum Institute of India, Serum Life Sciences, Sorrento, TFF, Vitti Labs. Read More
