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Junshi’s COVID Antiviral Superior To Paxlovid? Some Caveats Unveiled

 
• By Dexter Jie Yan

Unexpected protocol changes and a single-blind design for a Phase III head-to-head trial seem to have played to the advantage of Junshi’s oral derivative of Gilead’s antiviral remdesivir in COVID-19.

clinical trial progress
Junshi's claim of antiviral win over Paxlovid in head-to-head trial seems on shaky ground • Source: Alamy

Mounting concerns over protocol changes and trial design have shrouded Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd.’s claim of superiority for its COVID-19 oral antiviral VV116 over Pfizer Inc.’s Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir).

On 25 May, the Hong Kong- and Shanghai-listed Chinese biotech reported positive outcomes from a Phase III registrational head-to-head study versus Paxlovid in China for the early treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19

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More from China

Transient FY26 For Syngene But Momentum In China +1 Projects

 
• By Anju Ghangurde

As biopharma derisks its business with China ‘rebalancing’ strategies, Syngene could convert majority of such pilots into full program contracts amid a challenging FY2025. The CRDMO also expects business discussions pertaining to a newly acquired US biologics site to mature into commercial opportunities.

Zai’s R&D Head Touts ‘Beauty’ Of Novel Internal Assets

 
• By Dexter Jie Yan

Two potentially first-in-class molecules signify Zai Lab’s renewed drive for the in-house discovery of drugs that it requires “to be innovative, differentiated and to have the potential to make a big difference for patients,” its global R&D head tells Scrip.

CSPC’s Global-First Monospecific ADC Promising In Advanced NSCLC

 
• By Xu Hu

CSPC’s SYS6010, the first monospecific EGFR-targeting antibody-drug conjugate in the clinic for advanced NSCLC, has shown Phase I promise, but could face close competition with another China-originated bispecific.

Akeso Explains Ivonescimab Prelim OS Data After Investors’ Negative Reactions

 
• By Dexter Jie Yan

Akeso explains the circumstances behind the release of preliminary overall survival data from a head-to-head Phase III trial with ivonescimab in lung cancer, which some investors viewed as disappointing.

More from Focus On Asia

CSPC’s Global-First Monospecific ADC Promising In Advanced NSCLC

 
• By Xu Hu

CSPC’s SYS6010, the first monospecific EGFR-targeting antibody-drug conjugate in the clinic for advanced NSCLC, has shown Phase I promise, but could face close competition with another China-originated bispecific.

NIH Funding Cut Left Less Money On R&D Table, Tariffs Would Add To Woes: Aragen’s CEO

 
• By Vibha Ravi

Funding cuts at the National Institutes of Health, big pharma’s US onshoring moves, GCC partnerships and talks with the Indian government to solve intellectual property challenges are discussed in an interview with Aragen’s CEO, who is also keenly watching the Trump administration’s moves on pharma tariffs

Akeso Explains Ivonescimab Prelim OS Data After Investors’ Negative Reactions

 
• By Dexter Jie Yan

Akeso explains the circumstances behind the release of preliminary overall survival data from a head-to-head Phase III trial with ivonescimab in lung cancer, which some investors viewed as disappointing.