Oncology focused startup EOC Pharma expects to develop an “exciting” pipeline in two years via the licensing model. The company is also seeking “constant” financing as it advances three drug candidates into the next stage in 2018, EOC CEO Xiaoming Zou tells Scrip in an interview.

During an investor relations meeting in Seoul, South Korea’s HLB talked about recent clinical R&D progress for the lead project at its subsidiary LSK BioPharma and its developing pipeline. LSK revealed it is set to begin global Phase III trials for apatinib in gastric cancer and also aims to move on to the clinical development of a newly licensed in BTK inhibitor within 2016.

Ablynx has signed a deal with Chinese company Eddingpharm for certain Asian rights to its rheumatoid arthritis drug ozoralizumab, marking a fresh start for the anti-TNF nanobody after Pfizer backed out of a global deal in 2011.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Dealmaking column is a survey of recent health care transactions listed by relevant industry segment – In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals – and then categorized by type – Acquisition, Alliance, or Financing. This month’s column covers deals announced December 2013 through January 2014.