SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has launched a central nervous system-focused biotech company called Ignis Therapeutics Ltd. with a $180 million series A round led by 6 Dimensions Capital L.P. The financing of the new Shanghai-based company represents the largest series A investment in China’s biopharma industry in 2021, according to the two founding companies. KB Investment Co. Ltd, WTT investment Ltd., HBM Healthcare Investments AG and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also participated in the round. Read More
Celltrion Inc.’s Regkirona (regdanvimab), a monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19, received its latest approval from the European Commission (EC), making it the first Mab developed in South Korea to be approved there. The green light for Celltrion Healthcare Hungary Kft., the Hungarian arm of Korean biopharmaceutical company Celltrion, is for the treatment of adults with COVID-19 aged 18 and over who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are also at increased risk of severe disease. Read More
Curacle Co. Ltd. is training its sights on more partnerships after nabbing a licensing and collaboration agreement with Théa Open Innovation, a subsidiary of Laboratoires Théa SAS. The deal, for CU06-RE, Curacle’s oral treatment for diabetic macular edema and wet age-related macular degeneration (wet-AMD), includes $6 million up front for Curacle and as much as $157.5 million in potential development, regulatory and sales milestones, as well as royalties on sales. Read More
I-Mab Biopharma Co. Ltd. formed a partnership with Hubei Jumpcan Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. in a deal worth up to ¥2.016 billion (US$315.2 million) to develop, manufacture and commercialize recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) eftansomatropin alfa (TJ-101) in mainland China. Read More
PERTH, Australia – Australia’s Medical Research Future Fund is pumping AU$40 million (US$29 million) into a national biotech incubator program called CUREator to fund early stage novel therapeutics and preclinical medical research. Read More
Ono Pharma Korea Co. Ltd. has received approval in South Korea for Velexbru (tirabrutinib hydrochloride), its oral Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, as treatment of recurrent or refractory B-cell primary central nervous system lymphoma. Read More
PERTH, Australia – Australian researchers have debunked previous research that suggests autism spectrum disorder behavior may be caused by differences in the composition of the gut microbiota. Read More
A phase III trial testing the oral antiviral favipiravir for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 failed to hit statistical significance on the primary endpoint of time to sustained clinical recovery, sponsor Appili Therapeutics Inc. said. Company shares (TSX:APLI) plummeted Nov. 11, falling 53.6% to CA26 cents (US21 cents). Originally approved for the treatment of pandemic flu, favipiravir has since gained marketing authorizations for the treatment of COVID-19 in several markets. Read More
Continuing its downward trend, BioWorld’s Cancer Index (BCI) has fallen by 19.16% this year, a stark contrast with the broader Nasdaq Biopharmaceutical Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, both of which are tracking up by 4.49% and 19.03%, respectively. Two-thirds of the 21 stocks that make up BCI are showing losses so far this year, and everything from disappointing sales, strong competition, clinical holds and safety issues are to blame. Read More
Biopharma happenings in Asia-Pacific, such as deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Abl, Allarity, Astrazeneca, Atriva, Beximco, Biovaxys Technology, Ceapro, Cstone, Dotbio, Dynacure, Edigene, Eisai, Geovax Labs, Gritstone, Huyabio International, I-Mab, Jiangsu Recbio Technology, Johnson & Johnson, Jumpcan, Lotus, Merck, Newsoara, Nippon Shinyaku, Novan, Pharmamar, Revelar, Ridgeback, Shanghai, Sosei, Twist, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Valneva, Washington University School of Medicine, Zenith Epigenetics. Read More
