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Nona Biosciences Partners with OverT Bio to Develop Next-Generation Cell Therapies for Solid Tumors
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Nona Biosciences, a wholly-owned subsidiary of HBM Holdings Ltd (HKG: 2142), has entered into a partnership with US biotechnology company OverT Bio, Inc. to develop next-generation cell therapies targeting solid tumors. The collaboration will leverage Nona’s heavy-chain antibody (HCAb) Harbour Mice platform, with no financial specifics disclosed. Nona Bio’s HCAb…
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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Invests $17 Million in CanSino Biologics’ Recombinant Polio Vaccine
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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed USD 17 million to support the development of CS-2036, a recombinant polio vaccine, by China-based CanSino Biologics (SHA: 688185, HKG: 6185). The investment will fund various development efforts, including clinical trials, process development, scaling-up, and the development of a candidate combined vaccine…
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InnoCare Pharma’s ICP-488 Shows Promising Results in Phase II Psoriasis Study
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China-based InnoCare Pharma (HKG: 9969; SHA: 688428) has announced positive results from a Phase II clinical study for its TYK2 (tyrosine kinase 2) JH2 allosteric inhibitor, ICP-488, in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. The study demonstrated the drug’s potential in treating psoriasis and other autoimmune diseases by inhibiting…
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Ascletis Pharma Faces US Import Ban for NASH Drugs ASC41 and ASC43F in Trade Secrets Dispute
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China’s Ascletis Pharma Inc. (HKG: 1672) is navigating legal proceedings involving its oral thyroid hormone receptor-beta (THRβ) agonist ASC41 and a compound preparation ASC43F, both under development for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). US-based Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) filed a lawsuit in the United States against Ascletis in December…
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Beijing Aosaikang Pharmaceuticals Boosts Stake in US Subsidiary AskGene with RMB 220 Million Investment
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Beijing Aosaikang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (SHE: 002755) has announced a capital injection of RMB 220 million (USD 31 million) into its US-based subsidiary, AskGene Limited, established in 2012. This investment increases the Chinese firm’s shareholding in AskGene from 59.07% to 62.86%, solidifying its position as the controlling shareholder. Concurrently, TF…
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Eli Lilly China Appoints Yan Qiong as Vice President of Diabetes Business Unit
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Effective October 10, 2024, Yan Qiong will join the management team of Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) China as the vice president of the diabetes products business unit. She will report directly to Huzur Devletsah, the president and general manager of Lilly China. Yan Qiong brings nearly two decades of experience…
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Shanghai Releases Local Guidelines to Correct Unhealthy Practices in Pharmaceutical Procurement and Medical Services
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The Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, along with 13 other bureaus, has issued a local adaptation of the “Key Points for Correcting Unhealthy Practices in the Field of Pharmaceutical Procurement and Sales and Medical Services in 2024,” which was originally published by the National Health Commission (NHC) and supported by 14…
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InnoCare Pharma Achieves Positive Phase II Results for TYK2 Inhibitor ICP-488 in Psoriasis Treatment
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China-based InnoCare Pharma (HKG: 9969; SHA: 688428) has announced positive results from a Phase II clinical study for its TYK2 (tyrosine kinase 2) JH2 allosteric inhibitor, ICP-488, in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. ICP-488 is a potent and selective TYK2 allosteric inhibitor that is being developed to treat…
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Ascletis Pharma’s ASC40 Earns FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Fibrotic MASH
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China-based Ascletis Pharma Inc. (HKG: 1672) has announced that ASC40 (denifanstat), a fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor co-developed with US partner Sagimet Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: SGMT), has received a breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The designation is for the treatment of patients with…
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HitGen Inc. Partners with Ablink Biotech to Develop Antibody-Oligonucleotide Conjugates
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China-based HitGen Inc. (SHA: 688222) has entered into a partnership with compatriot firm Ablink Biotech to integrate their world-leading trillion-level DNA-Encoded Libraries (DELs), a comprehensive small nucleic acid drug discovery and production platform, and a 300 billion-level biopharmaceutical molecule library. The collaboration aims to provide research and development services for…
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Sichuan Biokin’s BL-B01D1 Earns Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Esophageal Cancer from China’s CDE
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Sichuan Biokin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (SHA: 688506) has announced that its bispecific antibody drug conjugate (ADC), BL-B01D1, has received breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) from the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) in China. The designation is for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who…
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Merck’s Keytruda Meets Primary Endpoint in Phase III Study for Head and Neck Cancer
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US pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK, NYSE: MRK) has announced that the Phase III KEYNOTE-689 study for its PD-1 inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab) has met its primary endpoint of event-free survival (EFS) in patients newly diagnosed with stage III or IVA, resected, locally advanced head and neck squamous cell…
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Boehringer Ingelheim’s Survodutide Earns FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for MASH Treatment
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German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim has received breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its drug candidate survodutide (BI 456906), a dual glucagon/GLP-1 receptor agonist, for the treatment of non-cirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in adults with moderate or advanced fibrosis (stages 2 or…
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Eli Lilly Appoints Thomas J. Fuchs as First Chief AI Officer to Lead AI Initiatives
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Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) has announced the appointment of Thomas J. Fuchs, Dr.sc., as its first chief AI officer, effective from October 21, 2024. Fuchs will be responsible for providing strategic direction and leadership for AI initiatives across the company, including drug discovery, clinical trials, manufacturing, and commercial…
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Zephyrm Bioscience Limited Files for IPO on Hong Kong Stock Exchange
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China-based Zephyrm Bioscience Limited, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of novel pluripotent stem cell (PSC) derived cell therapies, has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Details of the offering have not been disclosed at this stage. Established in 2017, Zephyrm Bio…
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Pfizer Halts Development of Sisunatovir, an RSV Antiviral, After Phase II/III Trials
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U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) has decided to discontinue the development of sisunatovir, an antiviral drug for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), following challenges including drug-drug interactions with antacids. The drug had reached the Phase II/III trial stage, and the decision will see two trials discontinued, according to Endpoints News.…
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Biogen’s China Unit Gets Conditional NMPA Nod for Qalsody (Tofersen) in ALS Treatment
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Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB)’s Chinese subsidiary has announced that it has received conditional approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its drug Qalsody (tofersen) for the treatment of adult patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who have a superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene mutation. ALS is a rare disease,…
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Joincare Pharmaceutical Secures NMPA Approval for Triptorelin Microspheres to Treat Endometriosis
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China-based Joincare Pharmaceutical Group Industry Co., Ltd (SHA: 600380) has announced that it has received another market approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its triptorelin microspheres, now indicated for the treatment of endometriosis. Triptorelin microspheres are an in-house developed long-acting formulation administered via monthly intramuscular injection as…
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CSPC Pharmaceutical Secures NMPA Approval for Omalizumab Biosimilar
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China-based CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd (HKG: 1093) has announced that it has received marketing approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its biosimilar version of Novartis’s Xolair (omalizumab), an anti-human immunoglobulin E (IgE) monoclonal antibody (mAb). CSPC Pharma’s biosimilar product is described as the first omalizumab biosimilar developed…
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Ningbo Menovo Pharmaceutical Partners with Nanjing Huawe Medicine for High-End Product Development
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Ningbo Menovo Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (SHA: 603538) has entered into a strategic partnership with Nanjing Huawe Medicine Technology Group Co., Ltd, a move aimed at leveraging synergies in research and development (R&D) and manufacturing resources. The collaboration seeks to reduce drug development costs and enhance product competitiveness in the high-end…
