Focus On Asia

Guest Andrew McConaghie from Scrip's UK team joins Brian Yang and Dexter Yan to discuss AACR highlights from Chinese biotechs, European perspectives on the proposed US BIOSECURE Act, two recent acquisitions and Boehringer Ingelheim's recent quarterly results.

Ichnos Glenmark Innovation’s president and CEO talks to Scrip about the promising activity profile of the alliance’s early stage trispecific antibody versus Janssen’s teclistamab and also maintains that the setback for Gilead’s magrolimab hasn’t eclipsed prospects for its bispecific antibody.

Joincare Pharmaceutical and partner TaiGen Biotechnology tout preliminary Phase III results in uncomplicated acute influenza for TG-1000, a homegrown follower of Shionogi/Roche’s oral antiviral Xofluza. Novel antivirals for flu were hotly pursued by Chinese developers throughout 2023.

Scrip's APAC team selects notable quotes from recent interviews, conferences and other coverage to highlight the views of senior executives and officials on the major topics facing the biopharma sector in the region.

Major Japanese companies Takeda, Astellas and SMBC are joining hands to establish a new joint venture with $3.9m capital and based in Japan’s largest biocluster Shonan iPark to help incubate local biopharma start-ups.

In this week's podcast edition of Five Must-Know Things: Teva’s immunology biosimilar launches; Intra-Cellular’s promising depression data; Phase III sleep apnea win for Lilly’s tirzepatide; an interview with Viking’s CEO; and China looks to define innovative drugs.

China’s public payer perceives innovative drugs in a different way from that of the country’s top drug regulator, a former senior healthcare security official with knowledge of the matter revealed during a recent industry event. The disclosure has unnerved pharma companies, which have been hit by sharp drug price discounts that were required by the public payer in exchange for reimbursement coverage.

Could health sector players encounter issues similar to those facing Tesla in China, a country which virtually saved the electric vehicle maker but where it is now facing challenges? Are there any lessons to be learned from a success story under China's volume-based procurement scheme? A partner at EY looks at these and other issues in an interview with Scrip.

Sanofi India managing director Rodolfo Hrosz talks to Scrip about the company’s refreshed India strategy including in the competitive diabetes segment, which is expected to see a flurry of new product activity. While Soliqua has hit the market, all eyes are also on Novo Nordisk’s Awiqli and Cipla’s partnered inhaled insulin in the wings.

In this mixed Chinese- and English-language episode, guest speaker Treehill Partners co-founder Ali Pashadezah joins Brian Yang and Dexter Yan to discuss updates on the proposed BIOSECURE Act in the US Congress and US-China biotech movements. Also discussed is how Chinese biotechs are becoming acquisition targets for overseas biotech companies, including the recent purchases of Profound by Genmab and AnHeart Theraputics by Nuvantion.

Plus deals involving Incyte/CMS, Biocytogen/ABL, Bharat/Biofabri/Bilthoven, Dr. Reddy’s/Pharmazz, Veeda/Heads, Sosei Heptares/GSK, BioGeometry/Sanyou, Ono/Sibylla and Teijin/BioProjet

After the financing draught suffered by Korean bioventures in 2023, it now seems the VC market is poised for a recovery as investors shift attention again to the healthcare sector, with a spotlight on AI-based solutions and device firms.

With a clinical win in the Phase III COMPASSION-15 trial in gastric/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, Akeso's PD-1/CTLA-4-targeting agent is well positioned to expand its label beyond second- or third-line use for cervical cancer, and appears to stack up well against big global competitors. The Chinese firm is also aiming the bispecific antibody at hepatocellular and lung cancers.

Astellas’ chief strategy officer, Adam Pearson, talks to Scrip about the company’s launch execution thrust for key therapies ahead of the loss of exclusivity for Xtandi and also deal-making appetite and choices, including the Iveric Bio buyout and walking away from the collaboration with Cartesian Therapeutics.

China's Chengdu New Radiomedicine Technology and the radiotherapy CRDMO Mitro Biotech bagged a combined $94m in their respective new financing rounds during March. Meanwhile, Beijing Varnotech Biopharm secured $83m for its vaccine candidates for the prevention of herpes zoster and respiratory syncytial virus infections. 

Strong sales growth and licensing activity in 2023 helped multiple Chinese biotechs to a solid profit performance, some moving into the black for the first time.