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BEIJING—The Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) in China has accepted the market filing for a long-acting erythropoietin (EPO) product, rhEPO-Fc, developed by Shandong Buchang Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd (SHA: 603858), for review. The product is intended for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Anemia is a common…
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Biocon Biologics Ltd, the biosimilars division of Indian pharmaceutical company Biocon Ltd (BOM: 532523, NSE: BIOCON), has announced the signing of a comprehensive settlement and licensing agreement with Janssen Biotech Inc. and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson (J&J; NYSE: JNJ). This agreement resolves a patent dispute over Bmab 1200,…
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Singapore-headquartered Zuellig Pharma, a leading healthcare solutions provider, has entered into an agreement with US pharmaceutical giant Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. to oversee the market launch and commercialization of Libtayo (cemiplimab), Regeneron’s proprietary programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor, in South Korea and Taiwan. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. Libtayo…
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HutchMed (China) Ltd (NASDAQ: HCM; HKG: 0013), a China-based biopharmaceutical company, has announced the withdrawal of its New Drug Application (NDA) for fruquintinib, a VEGFR inhibitor, in combination with paclitaxel for the second-line treatment of advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GC/GEJ) in China. The decision to withdraw was made…
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Denmark’s pharmaceutical giant, Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO), has reported significant findings on the efficacy of its weight management drug semaglutide, marketed as Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for obesity, in managing heart failure conditions. The data, published in The Lancet, encompasses results from 3,743 participants across four pivotal clinical trials:…
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SUZHOU—AccurEdit Therapeutics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd, a leading Chinese specialist in gene editing therapies, has announced that it has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its investigational drug ART001, which targets transthyretin amyloidosis. This milestone marks ART001 as the first in vivo gene-edited drug based on…
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GUANGZHOU—Bio-Thera Solutions (SHA: 688177), a leading biopharmaceutical company based in Guangzhou, has received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to proceed with clinical studies for BAT2406, a biosimilar version of Sanofi’s Dupixent (dupilumab). This monoclonal antibody, which targets interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13), is now set to be…
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HONG KONG—Hutchmed (HKG: 0013) has announced its decision to proactively withdraw the new indication application for Fruquintinib in combination with paclitaxel for the second-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma in China. The company will now evaluate a new registration pathway following discussions with the National Medical…
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US-based Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) has made a global first New Drug Application (NDA) filing with the US FDA for its FcRn blocker nipocalimab. The drug’s initial indication is anticipated to be for the treatment of adults with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who test positive for certain antibodies. This…
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US-based Merck, Sharp & Dohme Inc. (NYSE: MRK) announced the discontinuation of two Phase III trials evaluating its programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in new indications, due to insufficient efficacy. The decisions to halt the trials were made following recommendations from their respective independent data monitoring committees. The trials…
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China’s Tonghua Golden-Horse Pharmaceutical Industry Co. Ltd. and Belgium-based UCB (FRA: UNC) are seeking marketing approvals in China for two advanced treatments targeting neurodegenerative and autoimmune conditions, according to the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) website. Tonghua Golden-Horse’s octohydroaminoacridine succinate, designed to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and…
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Doma Biopharmaceutical (Suzhou) Co., Ltd, a Chinese pharmaceutical firm, has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a Phase I clinical trial for its innovative bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), DM005. This development marks a significant milestone for the company as it advances its pipeline towards…
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BEIJING—Jiyuan Biotechnology, a leading Chinese biopharmaceutical company, has secured tacit clinical trial approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its cutting-edge therapy targeting type 2 diabetes. This marks the first clinical trial approval in China for domestically developed gene-modified mesenchymal stem cells. The therapy in question involves the…
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BEIJING—CNGB Virogin, a joint venture between Virogin Biotech and China National Biotec Group, is poised to secure a breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its innovative drug VG161. The targeted indication for this recombinant human IL12/15-PDL1B herpes simplex type I oncolytic virus injection is…
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BEIJING—The Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) has indicated that two Chinese companies, Foshan Ruidio Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd and Chengdu Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., part of Sinopharm, are on the path to priority review for their respective medical innovations. Ruidio’s Technetium [99mTc] hydrazine nicotinamide polyethylene glycol bicyclic RGD peptide…
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JIANGSU—In a significant development for the pharmaceutical industry, Jiangsu Simcere Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (HKG: 2096), in collaboration with AnDiConBio, has initiated a Phase III clinical study for their anti-influenza drug, ADC189. This study marks a crucial step in the advancement of pediatric treatment options, with the first patient dosed in…
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HONG KONG—Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd (HKG: 1177), a leading biopharmaceutical company based in China, has announced the successful completion of a pre-set interim analysis in its Phase III clinical study. The study combines anlotinib with penpulimab as a first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), achieving the optimal efficacy thresholds for…
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Jiangxi Jemincare Group, based in China, has received marketing approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its generic version of GSK’s Requip (ropinirole), marking the first generic approval for this medication in China. The drug is indicated for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and PD with non-motor…
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Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY), the French pharmaceutical giant, has reportedly suspended the distribution and sale of its flu vaccines in China following concerns over declining potency identified during routine batch checks. According to FiercePharma.com, which cites an email from a Sanofi spokesperson, the suspension will affect supplies of both Vaxigrip and…
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JW Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company based in China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKG: 2126), has received additional indication approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, Carteyva (relmacabtagene autoleucel injection). This approval extends to adult patients with…