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China-based vaccine makers CanSino Biologics (HKG: 6185) and Livzon Pharmaceutical Group Inc. (HKG: 1513) have received emergency use authorizations (EUAs) from Chinese regulators for their respective COVID-19 vaccines as sequential booster shots. The approvals expand the country’s arsenal of heterologous boosters amid rising demand for enhanced protection. CanSino’s Inhaled VaccineCanSino’s…
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Suzhou Zelgen Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd (SHA: 688266) secured U.S. FDA approval to launch a clinical trial of its JAK inhibitor, jacktinib, for severe alopecia areata, marking the second IND clearance for the drug in the U.S. The therapy targets immune-driven inflammation via JAK/STAT pathway inhibition. Drug Profile and MechanismJacktinib, a…
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China’s Jacobio Pharmaceuticals Group Co., Ltd (HKG: 1167) announced the first patient dosed in a Phase I/IIa trial of its CD73 monoclonal antibody (mAb), JAB-BX102, for advanced solid tumors. The study, cleared by Chinese regulators in March 2022, marks the drug’s global clinical debut after U.S. approval in October 2021.…
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China’s Northeast Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (SHE: 000597) has signed a licensing agreement with U.S.-based MedAbome to develop the latter’s preclinical monoclonal antibody, MAb11-22.1, for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies. The deal follows Northeast’s 2017 in-licensing of a Herceptin biosimilar from MedAbome. Collaboration TermsUnder the agreement,…
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China’s Alphamab Oncology (HKG: 9966) will present updated clinical data for its bispecific antibody candidates KN046 and KN026 at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2022 conference. The programs target multiple cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and HER2-positive gastric cancer, with results showing promising efficacy and safety…
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UK pharma giant AstraZeneca (AZ, NASDAQ: AZN) announced a new approval for Farxiga (dapagliflozin), its sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, in China. The drug is now cleared to reduce risks of kidney function decline, end-stage kidney disease, cardiovascular death, and heart failure hospitalization in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD),…
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China’s Innovent Biologics, Inc. (HKG: 1801) announced that the first participant has been dosed in the higher-dose cohort of a Phase II trial for mazdutide (IBI362), a dual agonist targeting glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) and glucagon receptor (GCGR), in Chinese adults with obesity. The study follows positive results from…
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China’s Shanghai Pharmaceuticals (HKG: 2607, SHA: 601607) has received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to launch a clinical trial for its CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb) in primary membranous nephropathy, a chronic kidney disorder with limited treatment options. Study DetailsThe drug, developed by Shanghai Jiaolian Drug R&D Co.,…
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China’s Walvax Biotechnology Co., Ltd (SHE: 300142) has received clinical trial approvals from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for two novel coronavirus vaccines: an mRNA vaccine co-developed with Fudan University and Shanghai RNACure Biopharma, and a recombinant vaccine developed in-house by its subsidiary Shanghai Zerun Biotech. Vaccine Details Strategic…
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China’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector reported a 1.8% year-on-year (YOY) revenue decline to RMB 1.6 trillion (USD 231 billion) in the latest National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data, alongside a 30.7% plunge in profits to RMB 247.36 billion (USD 35.8 billion). Meanwhile, the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export…
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China’s CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings Ltd (HKG: 2171), a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell specialist, has initiated Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant production at its new autologous CAR-T cell therapy plant in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park (RTP). The facility marks the company’s first manufacturing site outside China and will supply clinical…
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China’s Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co., Ltd (SHA: 600276) has received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to conduct a clinical trial of its HRG2101 inhaler for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The drug, with no similar marketed products in China, targets fibroblast activity and inflammatory pathways to address the…
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Shanghai-based RedCloud Bio announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase I/IIa multi-center trial of H002, its fourth-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with resistance to prior TKIs, including C797S mutations. Drug ProfileH002, discovered in-house by…
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China’s Lepu Biopharma Co., Ltd (HKG: 2157) announced that the U.S. FDA has granted orphan drug designation (ODD) to its antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) MRG002 for gastric cancer and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GC/GEJ). The drug is in a Phase I/II trial in the U.S. targeting HER2-positive, advanced or metastatic GC/GEJ. Drug…
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The Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) has released the 62nd batch of chemical generic reference preparations, marking a significant update to its regulatory framework. This latest batch includes 27 new specifications and updates information on 39 previously published specifications, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance the transparency and efficiency of China’s…
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China’s Jacobio Pharmaceuticals Group Co., Ltd (HKG: 1167) announced the first patient dosed in a Phase IIa trial of its KRAS G12C inhibitor, JAB-21822, for first-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with KRAS G12C and STK11 co-mutations. The study follows a Phase I trial that showed a 56.3% objective response…
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China’s Akeso Bio has secured a breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) from the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) for its bispecific antibody (BsAb) AK112, targeting programmed death-1 (PD-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in first-line, locally advanced, or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with PD-L1 expression (TPS≥1%). The drug…
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Sino-US biotech Connect Biopharma Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: CNTB), headquartered in San Diego, California, and Taicang, Suzhou, China, announced the completion of a Phase I study for CBP-174, its small-molecule H3 receptor antagonist. The drug is being developed to treat pruritus (itch) associated with allergic and inflammatory skin diseases, including atopic…
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Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) announced that China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved a new indication for Jardiance (empagliflozin), an SGLT2 inhibitor, to treat heart failure in adult patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Previously approved in China for type 2 diabetes and heart failure with…