China’s Medilink Therapeutics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. and Germany’s Biontech SE signed another potential $1 billion-plus deal for novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targets, building off the first ADC-based licensing deal from last year. Read More
South Korea’s Genome & Co. Ltd. (KOSDAQ:314130) shares rose nearly 30% June 3 after it disclosed a potential ₩586.38 billion (US$426 million) licensing deal for its novel antibody-drug conjugate candidate with Switzerland’s Debiopharm International SA. Read More
Cambridge, Mass.-headquartered Flagship Pioneering Inc. opened its Asia-Pacific (APAC) headquarters in Singapore on June 1, BioWorldlearned from APAC chair and strategic adviser André Andonian in a May 30 interview. Read More
Although details are scant, Akeso Pharmaceuticals Inc. reported that its PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody, ivonescimab (AK-112), demonstrated statistically significant superiority as a first-line therapy for PD-L1-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared to Merck and Co. Inc.’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab). Read More
Miami-headquartered Summit Therapeutics Inc. expanded rights to Akeso Inc.’s non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) drug, ivonescimab (SMT-112; AK-112), June 3 while raising $200 million to advance the therapy. Read More
Although consensus was not reached on the World Health Organization’s pandemic agreement, the World Health Assembly recognized the progress made by member states to develop a pandemic agreement and to strengthen International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) during the 77th World Health Assembly meeting held May 27 to June 1 in Geneva. Read More
South Korea’s Hanall Biopharma Co. Ltd., of Songpa-gu, Seoul, agreed to an exclusive licensing deal with San Francisco-based Turn Biotechnologies Inc. to develop novel ophthalmic and optic therapies using the latter’s mRNA-based technology. Read More
Celltrion Inc., of Incheon, South Korea, gained MFDS clearance of Eydenzelt (CT-P42) as a biosimilar referencing Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc./Bayer AG’s Eylea (aflibercept) on May 30. The news comes on the heels of the U.S. FDA approving the first Eylea interchangeable biosimilars on May 20. Read More
Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd.’s NNZ-2591 met the primary endpoints in a phase II trial in children with Pitt Hopkins syndrome, with improvements seen in communication, social interaction, cognition and motor abilities, according to top-line results. Read More
While there was much talk about the vast potential of artificial intelligence (AI) during one of the world’s largest research cancer conferences, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) continued to grab the lion’s share of attention as Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. released new and positive data. Read More
Clinical updates from Asia, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Astrazeneca, HLB, I-Mab, Inmexd, Innovent, Neuren, Onconic, Opthea, Otsuka, Rege, Telix, Tyligand, Read More
Biopharma happenings in Asia-Pacific including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Anocca, Bio-Thera, Biontech, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Glyconex, Grit Biotechnology, Huidagene Medilink, Precisemab, Quangang Revolka, Shinobi, Stada Arzneimittel, Synthego. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations in Asia-Pacific: Astellas, Eisai, Genovate, Henlius, SN Bioscience, Telix. Read More
