China
Degron and TargetRx’s targeted protein degrader programs helped the firms garner new venture capital backing, while VelaVigo and Conjustar were among the others bagging new funding for antibody- and peptide-drug conjugates.
The China/US hematologic cancer-focused firm said the offering should give it runway into 2028, perhaps time enough to bring its top two pipeline assets to market in the US.
Roche's Shanghai-based Accelerator now includes close to 20 Chinese startups across multiple areas including novel modalities and AI-based research, fitting into the Swiss major's strategy of partnering in core areas to access innovation.
Acepodia’s dual-payload antibody-drug conjugates can link multiple tumor-killing agents without antibody modification. Apart from a GPC3-targeting candidate, the Taiwan-US biotech is also working on a bispecific antibody ADC with two different payloads, its CEO tells Scrip in an interview.
Throughout 2024, Chinese firms as sole sponsors initiated a total of seven global Phase III trials that including US sites. BeiGene, Genfleet and InnoCare are expected to add four similar studies this year.
The new year has already brought multiple deals for China-originated antibody-drug conjugates in the DLL3 class, which companies in the country dominate.
CARsgen's anti-Claudin 18.2 CAR-T therapy satricabtagene autoleucel has met its endpoint in a pivotal Phase II trial in later-stage gastric/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, paving the way for a China NDA filing.
CytoCares’ CEO shares plans for CC312, a potentially first-in-class trispecific antibody for autoimmune disorders it sees as differentiated from global rivals.
Some five years on from the first approval of a novel drug originated in China, 10 first-in-class drugs of Chinese origin have been commercialized. But the results have been mixed, with few actual or potential blockbusters.
In addition to C-Ray Therapeutics’ $100m-plus series A+ round, Allink Biotherapeutics and IMPACT Therapeutics closed VC/PE-backed financing deals worth $42m and $34m, respectively. Other Chinese biotechs also sealed smaller deals.
China’s fresh approval of a sublingual form of Simcere's edaravone/dexborneol brain cytoprotective agent for acute ischemic stroke is paving the way for an international Phase III study in this indication.
Roche's blockbuster ophthalmic drug set for China reimbursement list inclusion in three indications and shows positive interim results in PCV.
Hua Medicine’s HuaTangNing (dorzagliatin), the world’s first approved glucokinase activator, has apparently fallen short of restoring Bayer to its pre-2020 frontrunner position in China’s market for oral type 2 diabetes drugs, and the two companies' alliance is now set to be dissolved.
BioNTech and Biotheus’s recent acquisition deal and the current tough funding environment for Chinese biotechs may point to further potential transactions at attractive valuations. Bispecific antibodies and ADCs in oncology are possible targets for cross-border deals.
US President-elect Donald Trump’s second term is seen in general as “bad news” for Asia, especially China, by some analysts. But the outlook for India pharma appears upbeat, says a cross-section of experts.
Original innovation in drug development is vital for Chinese pharmas to grow into international majors within a decade, while originality is not necessarily restricted to the first-in-class category, Xingli Wang, head of Fosun Pharma’s Global R&D, shares his thoughts with Scrip.
A new drug-hunting initiative funded by the Chinese government will focus on novel therapies for chronic diseases and encourage academia-industry collaboration.
Interim results from an international Phase II study with its prolactin inhibiting antibody have boosted HopeMed’s confidence in its first-line potential in the chronic disorder, the Chinese venture's CEO tells Scrip.
Learn more about how China’s biopharmas are going global by working with dependable and trustworthy companion diagnostics partners.
Low prices and intense competition for innovative drugs at home continue to drive Chinese biotechs' globalization. Broader domestic commercial health insurance might provide the key to change.