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Lavamed, a high-end neurointervention device maker based in Suzhou, has successively closed angel and Series A financing rounds, raising USD 40 million in total. Lilly Asia Ventures led the angel funding, while Zhejiang United Investment/Zhejiang Silk Road Fund led the Series A, with contributions from Junson Capital, another “industrial group,”…
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China-based Innovent Biologics Inc., (HKG: 1801) and Denmark-based partner Union Therapeutics A/S revealed that a first healthy volunteer has been dosed in a Phase I study in China for orismilast (IBI353), a potential best-in-class PDE4 inhibitor. The study (CTR 20222393) is a dose-escalation Phase I designed to assess the pharmacokinetic…
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Japan-based Daiichi Sankyo Inc. (TYO: 4568) announced the first patient dosed in the global multi-center Phase III TROPION-Lung08 study in China. The trial is assessing the efficacy and safety of Dato-DXd combined with pembrolizumab in treatment-naïve advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with high expression of PD-L1 without…
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Beijing Tsingke Biotech Co., Ltd. a gene synthesis company based in Beijing, reportedly raised RMB 400 million (USD 57.5 million) in a Series B financing round. The round was co-led by Henan Investment Group Huirong Fund Management Co., Ltd and Fortune Capital. Other investors included Capitallink, Qingsong Fund, Zhongyuan Asset…
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China Medical System Holdings (CMS; HKG: 0867) announced the establishment of a licensing agreement with US-based Incyte Pharmaceuticals Inc., (NASDAQ: INCY) focused on Incyte’s Opzelura (ruxolitinib) cream. As per the agreement, which will initially last 10 years, the Chinese firm will take exclusive research and development (R&D), regulatory filing, and…
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Serve Accurate Faithful Evaluation (SAFE), a contract research organization (CRO) co-founded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2016, reportedly raised around RMB 500 million (USD 71.9 million) in a Series D financing round. The firm previously raised RMB 300 million (USD 43.1 million) via a Series C funding…
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China’s Peijia Medical Ltd (HKG: 9996) announced first patient enrollment in a multi-center clinical study for its transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system GeminiOne in China. The first operation went smoothly, with the whole device being manipulated for a mere 30 minutes. The prospective regulatory, multi-center, target value study is designed…
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The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) website indicates that China-based Shanghai Henlius Biotech’s (HKG: 2696) HLX04, a biosimilar version of Swiss giant Roche’s Avastin (bevacizumab), has been approved for use in advanced, metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Henlius’s drug becomes the eighth…
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China-based Yifan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (SHE: 002019) announced the transfer of exclusive distribution rights in Germany to its efbemalenograstim alfa (F-627), to Apogepha Arzneimittel GmbH. The German firm will pay Yifan Pharma a USD 400,000 upfront payment, up to USD 1 million development milestone payment, and up to USD 37.5…
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China-based Biosion, Inc’s US partner Pyxis Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ: PYXS) announced receiving clinical trial approval from the US FDA for its PYX-106 (BSI-060T). The anti-Siglec-15 monoclonal antibody (mAb) can now be assessed in clinics in bladder cancer, bile duct cancer, colorectal cancer, kidney cancer, and more. Preclinical Data and Drug…
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Eli Lilly & Co’s (NYSE: LLY) Q3 2022 SEC filing released last month revealed that the US major has decided to end its license to develop the programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor Tyvyt (sintilimab) in markets outside of China. In a single sentence, Lilly noted that the license deal signed with…
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Swiss giant Novartis (NYSE: NVS) entered into a promotion agreement with China-based Sinopharm Group Co., Ltd, handing the latter commercial promotion rights to its Gleevec (imatinib) and Exjade (deferasirox) in China. The tie-up will explore innovative business cooperation models, make use of domestic third-party commercialization platforms to maximize the accessibility…
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China-based Luye Pharma Group (HKG: 2186), Jiangsu Nhwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (SHE: 002262), and Beijing Fine Hin Mobile Medical Technology Co., Ltd have agreed to leverage their respective expertise, platform advantages, and commercialization resources to bolster the commercialization of Luye’s Category 1 chemical drug toludesvenlafaxine (LY03005), an extended-release treatment for…
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China-based Pediatrix Therapeutics announced a licensing agreement with US firm Tris Pharma, Inc., obtaining exclusive commercialization rights to the latter’s entire FDA-approved attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) portfolio, as well as pipeline products. The deal covers the territory of greater China, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. No financial…
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China-based Kintor Pharmaceutical Ltd (HKG: 9939) announced that the Phase II clinical study for its AR antagonist KX-826 (pyrilutamide) in female patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in China has reached the primary endpoint. Study Design and ResultsThe randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study, with 160 patients enrolled, is designed to assess…
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China-based molecular diagnostics specialist Sansure Biotech Inc. (SHA: 688289) announced that it has obtained medical device approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its pertussis nucleic acid detection kit (PCR fluorescence probe method). Product and ApplicationThe product, used for the auxiliary diagnosis of patients with respiratory tract infection…
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Jiangsu Simcere Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (HKG: 2096) announced that a Phase III clinical study for its edaravone, borneol sublingual tablets in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has reached the pre-set efficacy endpoint. Preliminary analysis showed that, compared with a placebo, edaravone, borneol sublingual tablets could significantly improve the neurological recovery and…
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The Suzhou-based Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) and the UK’s University of Liverpool earlier this month held the inauguration of the Joint Centre for Pharmacology and Therapeutics. The Joint Center will allow scientists from both countries to carry out research into disease mechanisms and develop novel drugs for currently relevant diseases.…
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China-based Yifan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (SHE: 002019) announced the establishment of a licensing agreement with US firm Acrotech Biopharma, Inc., granting the latter exclusive distribution rights to its efbemalenograstim alfa (F-627) in the United States. The drug is an in-house developed long-acting recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rhGCSF)-Fc fusion…
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Nans Tech, a brain dysfunction digital therapy developer based in Hangzhou, reportedly raised “tens of million” of renminbi in a Series A financing round, solely led by Shulan Junjie Capital. Proceeds will go towards product industrialization and regulatory filing, technology and product research and development, and clinical promotion. Company Background…