Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd., a subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd., agreed to acquire Myovant Sciences Ltd. for $27 per share, up from its earlier offer of $22.75 per share. The deal is worth $1.7 billion on a fully diluted basis, with an equity value of about $2.59 billion.Read More
Celltrion Healthcare Inc. has signed a deal with Pinotbio Inc. to develop antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for up to 15 separate cancer targets incorporating the linker-payload platform technology Pinot-ADC. Celltrion could pay Pinotbio as much as ₩1.77 trillion (US$1.24 billion) to exercise options for all 15 targets in the collaboration. But, for starters, it will pay Pinotbio ₩1 billion up front. Read More
Astellas Pharma Inc. has invested $50 million in Taysha Gene Therapies Inc. in exchange for 15% of the company and exclusive options to in-license Taysha’s lead gene therapy candidates, TSHA-102 for Rett syndrome and TSHA-120 for giant axonal neuropathy. Read More
With a 52% increase in patent filings and a 160% jump in research publications, the RNA technology field has exploded in the last 10 to 12 years, and the U.S. and mainland China are paving the way. Identifying seven emerging RNA innovators, Clarivate plc’s RNA Technology Companies to Watch is a new report that harnesses data and insights from both Clarivate and BioWorld. Read More
Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd.’s phase II F-18 Pivalate positron emission tomography trial in brain metastases saw positive results with high uptake regardless of the origin of primary tumors, showing that Pivalate could be used to monitor brain metastases. Read More
Suzhou Zelgen Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. reported a phase III trial testing the company’s deuterium-substituted sorafenib derivative donafenib in patients with progressive locally advanced or metastatic radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer met its primary endpoint following a preplanned interim analysis which found the drug significantly prolonged median progression-free survival vs. a placebo. Read More
Peking University researchers in collaboration with the NIH have discovered a new biochemical pathway related to a bacterium that eliminates nicotine in the intestine. The findings could lead to new ways to improve nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in smokers. Read More
Expanding its mandate to accelerate access to essential medicines to people in low- and middle-income countries, the Medicines Patent Pool signed its first voluntary licensing agreement for a cancer treatment, Novartis AG’s Tasigna (nilotinib). Read More
Maxinovel Pharmaceuticals Inc. raised ¥100 million (US$13.8 million) in a series C+ round to develop its candidates for acute myeloid leukemia, solid tumors, and autoimmune diseases. Read More
Inxmed Co. Ltd. has formed a partnership with Shanghai Huaota Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to combine the former’s IN-10018 and the latter’s HB-0030 for the treatment of solid tumors by jointly running preclinical studies and clinical trials. Read More
Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. subsidiary Eucure Biopharma Co. Ltd. has formed a partnership with Syncromune Inc. to combine Eucure’s YH-002 and two other active ingredients with Syncromune’s Syncrovax platform technology. Read More
Sinocelltech Group Ltd. has reported positive interim data for two COVID-19 vaccine candidates, SCTV-01C and SCTV-01E, from phase III trials in the United Arab Emirates. Read More
Biopharma happenings in Asia-Pacific, such as deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Biocytogen, Bionomics, C4X Discovery, Dr. Falk Pharma, Eisai, Eucure, Hitgen, HK Inno.N, Limmatech, Lupin, Sebela, Shionogi, Sumitomo, Sunovion, Syncromune, Takeda, Zedira. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations in Asia-Pacific: Akeso, Astrazeneca, Biontech, Carsgen, GSK, Kira, Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer, Roche, Telix, Zhiyu. Read More
