Largely side-lined in China for the most of the pandemic, antivirals such as Pfizer Inc.’s Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) are making a comeback as the country grapples with an expected surge in cases following the rapid relaxation of many long-standing restrictions, with people going online for supplies of oral treatments and other medicines seen as being effective.
Drugs In Short Supply As China Hunkers Down For COVID Surge
Black Market Generic Paxlovid Sells Out
As citizens in China grapple with the virtual end of pandemic restrictions and rush for medicines from cold remedies to traditional options, even some prescription antivirals such as Paxlovid are appearing online, while cheaper but unauthorized Indian generic versions have quickly sold out. Meanwhile, a renewed vaccination effort is targeting high-risk individuals and second booster shots as the country faces a huge surge in cases.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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Novotech's CEO talks about rising interest for trials in regions with “regulatory agility” and “strategic insulation” from geopolitical complexity, especially among emerging and mid-sized biotech sponsors. Operational "reassessment” among some sponsors on exposure to China-based CROs/CRDMOs is another area he discussed.