Almost 80% of novel agent submissions from the biggest companies were approved in recent years, compared with a 60% approval rate for the rest of the industry, according to a Pink Sheet analysis of FDA approval decisions since 2021.

Public Company Edition: Seven companies revealed $2.1bn worth of royalty financings in the first quarter of 2023 and the deals keep coming in Q2, with uniQure monetizing Hemgenix royalties for up to $400m. Also, Legend grossed $350m in a follow-on offering and Athenex is liquidating via bankruptcy. 

The Japanese drug maker is the second in the space of a month to partner up with a Chinese biotech firm for a HER2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate, as ADCs gain more interest from large pharma firms.

Against the prevailing headwinds in the biotech sector, two Chinese firms are bucking the trend of pipeline reorganization by eyeing the potential acquisition of assets from external partners to expand into more modalities and therapeutic areas.