•
China’s National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) has announced revisions to the information about certain drugs on the 2024 National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) following public feedback. These changes reflect the NHSA’s commitment to transparency and responsiveness in managing the country’s drug reimbursement policies. Specific Drug UpdatesThe NHSA has confirmed that…
•
Jiang Yifei, the current vice president of Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) China’s neuroscience division, has announced his departure to seek external development opportunities, according to local media. His last day in the role will be January 14, 2025. Career Highlights at Eli Lilly ChinaDuring his tenure at Eli Lilly China,…
•
China-based Shanghai Fourier Intelligence Co., Ltd, a leading developer of exoskeleton robotic products for rehabilitation and orthoses, has reportedly raised close to RMB 800 million (USD 109 million) in a Series E financing round. The round was backed by prominent investors including Guoxin Investment, PDVC, Zhangjiang S&T Investment, Prosperity7, PEAKVEST,…
•
Japan-based Astellas Pharma Inc. (TYO: 4503) has announced marketing clearance by China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its Padcev (enfortumab vedotin) in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) to treat adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (la/mUC). This combination offers a new therapeutic option to patients in China,…
•
Shanghai-based genome medicines specialist HuidaGene Therapeutics has announced a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) on the orphan designation filing for its HG004. The gene therapy is designed for the treatment of inherited retinal dystrophy caused by dysfunction in the…
•
China Medical System Holdings (CMS; HKG: 0867) has announced a license agreement with Alpha Cognition Inc., obtaining development, regulatory filing, manufacturing, import, export, and commercialization rights to the Canadian firm’s Zunveyl (benzgalantamine delayed-release tablets). The drug targets mild to moderate dementia of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and is approved for the…
•
China-based Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (SHA: 600521) is set to transfer the patent and other rights to its hypidone (HHT001), an innovative antidepressant co-developed by the Academy of Military Medical Sciences’ (AMMS) toxicity and drug institute. The transfer will be conducted through a public listing on the China Technology…
•
China-based Mabwell (Shanghai) Bioscience Co., Ltd (SHA: 688062) has announced that the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) to its 9MW2821, an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) targeting Nectin-4. The designation is for the use of 9MW2821 in combination…
•
China-based Sichuan Kelun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (SHE: 002422) has announced that it has received marketing approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its generic version of Japan-based Shionogi’s Mulpleta (lusutrombopag). This Category 4 chemical drug becomes the first generic Mulpleta in China, marking a significant milestone in the…
•
US-based Alloy Therapeutics Inc. has announced a target-specific collaboration and license agreement with Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY), the French pharmaceutical giant. The partnership aims to leverage Alloy’s neuroscience expertise to develop a novel drug targeting the central nervous system (CNS) based on Alloy’s proprietary AntiClastic Antisense Platform. This technology, launched by…
•
US-Irish firm Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) has announced that its Harmony Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve (TPV) System has received CE marking, a significant step in expanding its market reach for this minimally invasive alternative to open-heart surgery. The Harmony TPV System is designed for patients with congenital heart disease, specifically those with…
•
China’s Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (HKG: 2315) has entered into a partnership with Acepodia, a cell therapy specialist operating out of Taipei and California, US. The collaboration aims to provide innovative solutions for tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance through the development of dual-payload bispecific antibody-drug conjugates (BsAD2Cs). Combining ExpertiseThe…
•
French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY) has announced that it has received marketing approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its Sarclisa (isatuximab) in combination with pomalidomide plus dexamethasone. This approval is for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have previously received at least first-line…
•
Switzerland-based oncology biotech Araris Biotech AG has announced a research collaboration and option to license agreement with Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The partnership will utilize Araris’ proprietary linker-conjugation platform, AraLinQ, to generate novel antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) using antibodies against undisclosed targets provided by the Japanese firm. Deal Terms and…
•
US-based Mirror Biologics, Inc., an off-the-shelf immunotherapy developer, has announced a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with German major Merck KGaA (ETR: MRK). The collaboration aims to jointly conduct a Phase II clinical study assessing the efficacy and safety of Mirror’s immunotherapy AlloStim combined with Merck’s Bavencio (avelumab), an…
•
US giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J, NYSE: JNJ) has announced that it has received Fast Track designation from the US FDA for its posdinemab, a phosphorylated tau-directed monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This designation is a significant milestone in the development of posdinemab, which is designed to slow…
•
US major Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) is set to acquire Bolt Medical, Inc., a company founded in 2019 with Boston Scientific’s backing, in which it currently holds a 26% stake. The transaction is structured to include an upfront payment of USD 43 million for the remaining 74% ownership that…
•
The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and State Council have released the Opinions on Deepening the Reform and Development of Elderly Care Services. The aim is to accelerate the construction of an elderly care service system suitable for China’s national conditions, ensuring that the elderly have a sense…
•
Shenzhen-based QuantumPharm Inc. (HKG: 2228), better known as Xtalpi Inc., has announced that its subsidiary Ailux Biologics has struck a partnership with UCB (EBR: UCB), granting the Belgian biopharma commercial rights to utilize Ailux’s XtalFold AI platform for the discovery and engineering design of macromolecular drugs. No financial details were…
•
On January 8, Duality Biologics, Inc. (Duality Bio) and Avenzo Therapeutics, Inc. (Avenzo) jointly announced that they have entered into an exclusive license agreement. Under the agreement, Avenzo will obtain exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize DB-1418/AVZO-1418 globally, excluding Greater China. DB-1418/AVZO-1418 is an EGFR/HER3 bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)…