Having just filed efgartigimod in the US, the European biotech has signed up Zai Lab to help develop and sell the potential autoimmune blockbuster in China, where an estimated 200,000 people live with myasthenia gravis.

Public Company Edition: The new year started with two companies signaling plans for significant near-term initial public offerings, following Inhibikase’s launch as the last IPO of 2020. Other recent financial highlights include layoffs at Calithera and Regenxbio’s $200m Zolgensma royalty sale.

Olema launched this year’s 75^th US biopharma IPO. Also, investments in regenerative medicines reached a new high, Qiming closed a $1.2bn China-focused VC fund, D3 Bio led recent venture deals with a $200m round, and Bausch sold $2bn worth of notes to pay down near-term debts.

A potential first-in-class FGFR2b-targeted monoclonal antibody, bemarituzumab, has shown top-line benefits in the Phase II FIGHT study in advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancers.