Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd. is out-licensing to Astellas Pharma Inc. two preclinical bispecific macrophage engagers – ES-019, an anti-PD-L1/SIRPα bispecific antibody, and another unnamed program – in a deal worth up to $1.7 billion. The deal marks the Shanghai-based company’s first out-licensing deal, Elpiscience CEO Darren Ji told BioWorld, noting that Astellas will have global rights to both molecules with a potential to in-license two more. Read More
Legochem Biosciences Inc. signed a $1.7 billion licensing deal with Janssen Biotech Inc. for its Trop2-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), closing the biggest technology transfer deal in Korean biotech history after Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceuticals Corp. Read More
Two big pharma firms placed high offers on Dec. 26 to acquire companies focused on radiopharmaceuticals and cell therapies in what Evercore ISI analysts are calling a “good sign for the end of the year.” Read More
Incheon, South Korea-based Celltrion Inc. said on Jan. 2 that it reached an agreement with Asian health care investment firm CBC Group to partially sell off its Primary Care unit by March 2024 for ₩209.9 billion (US$160.7 million). Incheon, South Korea-based Celltrion Inc. said on Jan. 2 that it reached an agreement with Asian health care investment firm CBC Group to partially sell off its Primary Care unit by March 2024 for ₩209.9 billion (US$160.7 million). Read More
The spate of recent deals involving antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) continues in a field composed of record-breaking agreements in 2023. The newest of the deals were focused on Asia. GSK plc entered a license deal for the exclusive rights for clinical development and commercialization of Hansoh Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s B7-H3-targeted ADC, HS-20093. Also, South Korea’s Dong-A ST Co. Ltd. is expanding into the ADC space by acquiring Abtis Co. Ltd. and its Abclick platform for ADC drug development. Read More
South Korean biotech Pinotbio Co. Ltd. inked a $250 million (₩320 billion) licensing deal with Princeton, N.J.-based Conjugatebio Inc. to develop 10 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targets with Pinotbio’s ADC platform technology. The deal announced on Dec. 21 adds to a previous agreement between the two companies last year. Pinotbio and Conjugate first teamed up to discover and develop five ADC targets in June 2022. Read More
Lianbio Co. Ltd. is out-licensing NBTXR-3 to Janssen Pharmaceutical NV to develop and commercialize the radioenhancer in China, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand. Earlier this month, Tang Capital’s Concentra Biosciences LLC lodged a proposal to acquire Lianbio for $465 million, which the company’s shareholders rejected. Read More
A recent survey on the performance of publicly listed Korean health care firms in 2023 unveiled a still floundering med-tech sector, although local pharmaceutical companies seemed to rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More
Nearing the end of 2023, South Korea’s National Assembly approved hiked-up budgets for three of its major health care agencies. Its health policy think tank also forecast an uptick in industry exports in 2024. Read More
MSD had a banner year at the ESMO Asia Congress earlier this month, presenting 14 abstracts on eight different types of cancers, including gastric, esophageal, colorectal, biliary tract, kidney, urothelial, breast and gynecological cancers. Ten of these studies were focused on Asian-related data. Roche AG, meanwhile, presented Asia-specific results from the phase III Alina study in patients with ALK-positive early stage non-small-cell lung cancer. Read More
Starpharma Holdings Ltd.’s DEP docetaxel phase II trial met its primary endpoints, demonstrating antitumor activity in multiple advanced, metastatic cancers, including pancreatic, gastro-esophageal, non-small-cell lung cancer and cholangiocarcinoma. Read More
As industry gears up for the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference to kick off 2024, take a moment to review the successes and challenges that defined 2023. Read More
Clinical updates from Asia, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Caliway, Carina Biotech, Clairy, CSL, Daiichi, Highfield, Innocare, Lynx, Neuren, Shapiron, Sumitomo, Yoltech. Read More
Biopharma happenings in Asia-Pacific, such as deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: AFT, Alexion, Allay Therapeutics, Astrazeneca, Astellas, Biocytogen, Biomed X Institute, Cstone, CTM, Escugen Biotechnology, Hyloris, Immunoscape, Innovent, Inxmed, JCR, Juniper, Maruishi, Pharmaceutical, Mink Therapeutics Neurocrine, Ono Pharmaceutical, Ping-An Shinonogi, Polaris, Propella, Servier, Takeda, Xuanzhu. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations in Asia-Pacific: . Read More
