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Merck KGaA (NYSE: MRK), a leading German science and technology company, has announced the commercial launch of its targeted lung cancer therapy, Tepmetko (tepotinib), in China. This marks a significant milestone as multiple hospitals across the country have begun writing the first prescriptions for this MET inhibitor. Tepmetko, which has…
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Chia Tai Tianqing, a China-based pharmaceutical company, has entered into a strategic partnership with Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center to intensify their collaboration on clinical trials for innovative drugs. The agreement leverages Chia Tai Tianqing’s comprehensive industrial chain strength in scientific and technological innovation and the Shanghai Cancer Center’s leading…
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Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd (HKG: 1877; SHA: 688180), a leading biopharmaceutical company based in China, has submitted market approval applications in Singapore for its programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor, Loqtorzi (toripalimab). The drug is proposed for use as a first-line treatment for metastatic or recurrent locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)…
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Takeda (TYO: 4502), a leading Japanese pharmaceutical company, has released its financial results for the 9-month period ended December 31, 2023, reporting a revenue of JPY 3.2 trillion (USD 21.9 billion) with a 0.0% growth at constant exchange rates (CER). The company’s performance was impacted by declines in oncology, neuroscience,…
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Novartis (NYSE: NVS), the Swiss pharmaceutical giant, reported a substantial leap in its global sales for the last financial year, amassing USD 45.4 billion—a 10% year-on-year (YOY) increase in constant currency terms, as per the 2023 financials released this week. This achievement marks Novartis’s inaugural annual report following the strategic…
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Manhattan BioSolutions Inc., a U.S.-based biotechnology company, has entered into an assessment and potential licensing agreement with Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co., Ltd (HKG: 2315), a Chinese biopharmaceutical firm. Through this agreement, Manhattan BioSolutions is poised to gain access to a range of antibodies targeting a novel tumor antigen that is…
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Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) has reported a significant downturn in global revenues for the week, amounting to USD 58.5 billion, following a 41% year-on-year (YOY) decrease in operational terms. This substantial drop reflects the diminishing sales of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine Comirnaty and the antiviral treatment Paxlovid. The reported figures align…
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Astellas Pharma Inc. (TYO: 4503), a leading Japanese pharmaceutical company, has announced a strategic partnership with Mass General Brigham, a prominent academic institution in the United States. This collaboration aims to drive scientific and clinical advancements in critical areas, including oncology, rare diseases, and cell and gene therapy. Astellas will…
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Mabwell (Shanghai) Bioscience Co., Ltd., (SHA: 688062) has announced the renewal of its strategic research partnership with Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. The collaboration, initiated in July 2021, focuses on advancing research cooperation, nurturing talent, enhancing hospital management, and constructing robust platforms for scientific exchange. The partnership has seen significant…
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Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd (SHA: 600276), a leading pharmaceutical company based in China, has announced that it has received Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its sustained-released generic version of Astagraf XL (tacrolimus), originally developed by Japan-based Astellas. With this…
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Gilead (NASDAQ: GILD) has strengthened its 2020 collaboration agreement with US-based Arcus Biosciences (NYSE: RCUS) by amending it to accelerate their joint program on the anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody (mAb) domvanalimab. The amendment includes an additional investment of USD 320 million, which increases Gilead’s ownership stake in Arcus to 33% and…
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UK pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (AZ; NASDAQ: AZN) has announced that an indication extension filing for Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan), submitted in partnership with Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo (TYO: 4568) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has been granted priority review. The treatment is now under consideration for unresectable or metastatic…
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Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS; NYSE: BMY) this week announced preliminary Phase III data demonstrating that its subcutaneous formulation of Opdivo (nivolumab), developed in partnership with Halozyme Therapeutics (NASDAQ: HALO), is noninferior to the intravenous version for patients with advanced or metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The equivalence trial…
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The Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) has confirmed that Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J, NYSE: JNJ) market filings for Rybrevant (amivantamab) and lazertinib, designated as JXSS2400004 and JXHS2400009 respectively, have been accepted for review. Amivantamab-vmjw, a bispecific antibody targeting EGFR and MET, received its initial approval in May 2021 for the…
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Laekna Therapeutics Shanghai Co., Ltd, a China-based pharmaceutical company, has announced topline data from the global multi-center Phase II PROFECTA-II study for its afuresertib combined with paclitaxel in the treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC). The Sino-US study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the combination therapy in…
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Yantai Dongcheng Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd (SHE: 002675), a Chinese pharmaceutical company, has announced that it has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its radiopharmaceutical 68GaLNC1007. This diagnostic agent targets fibroblast activating protein (FAP) and integrin αvβ3 and is under development to support the treatment…
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Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche (SWX: ROG) has reached a significant milestone this week with the dosing of the first patient in an open-label Phase II trial using its Canadian partner Repare Therapeutics’ (NASDAQ: RPTX) ATR inhibitor, camonsertib. The trial aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of various targeted therapies…
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Roche (SWX: ROG), the Swiss pharmaceutical giant, has announced positive results from a Phase III study showcasing the efficacy of its anti-PD-L1 drug Tecentriq (atezolizumab) in combination with Exelixis’s (NASDAQ: EXEL) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) Cabometyx (cabozantinib) for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The study focused on…
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Biosion, a global clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing antibody-based therapies for immune and oncologic diseases, has announced that it has received clinical trial clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its pipeline candidate BSI-082. This monoclonal antibody (mAb) targets SIRPα and is under development for the…
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Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD; NYSE: MRK) has announced that its blockbuster anti-PD-1 drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) has entered a Phase Ia/b trial in combination with South Korea-based PharmAbcine’s (KOSDAQ: 208340) VISTA-inhibiting biologic PMC-309 for the treatment of advanced or metastatic solid tumors. The study aims to determine the recommended dose,…