Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s oral allosteric tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor TAK-279 met primary and secondary endpoints in a phase IIb clinical trial in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, but analysts say it may be too little too late to make a big splash compared to competitors. Read More

Abbisko Therapeutics Co. Ltd.’s colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF-1R) inhibitor, pimicotinib (ABSK-021), is advancing from phase I trials to pivotal phase III trials in patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumors (TGCT) in the U.S. and China following clearance from both regulators. Read More

Health Guard Biotechnology Inc. raised ¥294 million (US$43 million) in an IPO on the SME-focused Beijing Stock Exchange, with the funds going to push the development of its HPV vaccines. Read More

Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered drug discovery startup Protai Bio Ltd. raised $12 million in additional seed funding, bringing the total amount to $20 million that will see the company build out an oncology drug discovery pipeline derived from its AI proteomics platform. Read More

Likang Life Sciences Holdings Ltd. received approval from China’s NMPA to start a clinical trial of its candidate, LK-101 injection, for advanced solid tumors. The company claims this is the first personalized neoantigen vaccine and mRNA editing product to enter the clinic in China. Read More

If you believe the theme of the World Dementia Council (WDC) meeting in London this week, dementia is “in a new era,” where it will be possible to prevent, diagnose and treat neurodegenerative disease. That is not the case for most people living with dementia today, but the approval of the first disease-modifying drugs and the imminent arrival of new blood-based biomarkers is “a big moment,” Lenny Shallcross, executive director of WDC told the meeting on Mar. 20. Read More

The NMPA accepted a BLA from Astellas Pharma Inc. for enfortumab vedotin, which is designed for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who previously received treatment with a PD-1/L1 inhibitor and platinum-based chemotherapy. Read More

Biopharma happenings in Asia-Pacific, such as deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Annji, Artisan, Avenue, Beigene, Celltrion, Coya, Dr. Reddy’s, Genuv, Hutchmed, Leap, Prelude, Spybiotech, Summit Healthcare Acquisition, Takeda, Yishengbio, YS. Read More

Clinical updates from Asia, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Akeso, Alphamab Oncology, Alterity, Asahi Kasei, Astellas, Atea, Biothera Solutions, Boan, Canbridge, Direct Biologics, Hanmi, Immutep, Invex, Luye, Mabwell, Olipass, Pfizer, Telix, Vectivbio. Read More

Regulatory snapshots, including drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations in Asia-Pacific: Abbisko, Biontech, Everest Medicines, Glenmark, Kuria, Likang, Pfizer, Skye. Read More