In the latest deal from the burgeoning antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) space, Eisai Co. Ltd. and privately held Bliss Biopharmaceutical (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd. reached a development and commercialization agreement that could be worth up to $2 billion. The massive collaboration is the eighth largest so far this year and one of three that involve ADCs in the year’s top 10 deals. Read More
Notching another deal in its efforts to extend the global reach of toripalimab, Junshi Biosciences Co. Ltd. granted Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. rights to develop and commercialize the PD-1 inhibitor in a regional licensing agreement that could be worth as much as $728.3 million. Read More
Roche AG acquired global rights to Zion Pharma Ltd.’s lead program, ZN-A-1041, an orally administered selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is designed to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and can prevent and treat brain metastases in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients. Read More
Beijing Luzhu Biotechnology Co. Ltd. raised a net HK$242 million (US$31 million) from an IPO in Hong Kong but shares in the developer of vaccines and therapeutics for infectious diseases, cancer and autoimmune diseases plummeted on the first day of trading. Luzhu’s shares (HK:2480) started trading on May 8 at HK$31.50 and fell about 30% throughout the day to close at HK$22. Founded in 2001, Luzhu has yet to turn a profit. It recorded net losses of ¥725.2 million (US$92 million) in 2022 and ¥539.4 million in 2021. Read More
University of Sydney spinout Kinoxis Therapeutics Pty announced a partnership and licensing agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH to develop first-in-class oxytocin-targeting precision psychiatry treatments to improve the quality of life of people living with neuropsychiatric disorders. Read More
Cellular Biomedicine Group Inc. (CBMG) licensed a pair of candidates for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma to Janssen Biotech Inc. for development outside of greater China. The candidates are anti-CD19 and CD20 bispecific CAR T-cell therapy C-CAR039 and anti-CD20 CAR T-cell therapy C-CAR066. Read More
Ahead of the upcoming G7 summit to be hosted in Japan this month, a delegation of 24 CEOs from the Biopharmaceutical CEOs Roundtable met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss global priorities and to flag concerns over drug pricing policies in Japan. Read More
The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) may look like domestic affair, but the drug price controls it is bringing in are set to impact the biopharma sector across the globe. Read More
Clinical updates from Asia, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Ascletis, Boan, D&D, Eirgenix, Golden, Hyundai, Revive, Transcenta. Read More
Biopharma happenings in Asia-Pacific, such as deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Acorda, Artisan, Blackhawk Growth, Brightpath, H. Lundbeck, Hangzhou Chance, Mindbio, Neuro3, Piramal, Plus. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations in Asia-Pacific: Carsgen, Valeo. Read More