After record venture capital activity around South Korean biotechs last year, the strong investment interest has persisted so far this year, with an increased number of companies receiving large-scale funding as the promising sector emerges amid the pandemic.

A COVID-19 second wave is wreaking havoc in India but pharma appears to be holding things together for now, stretching resources amid a dip in personnel attendance and supply chain strains. Limited vaccine supplies, a spurt in API prices and an inevitable third wave could mean further turbulence ahead.

US-based, China-focused CANbridge moves into cholestatic liver disease and enzyme replacement therapy via two deals. Plus deals involving LegoChem, TransThera, Morepen, Daiichi Sankyo, Geneseeq, Innocare, Biosplice, Sirnaomics and Walvax.

As the US responds to calls to waive intellectual property rights related to COVID-19 vaccines, China is already moving ahead with some of its own mRNA candidates.

After setting up a sales base in the UK, Serum Institute could consider an acquisition in Europe or investment in an Oxford facility as it ties up production for its multiple COVID-19 vaccines. Is Wockhardt’s Wrexham facility an option?

Eli Lilly responds with baricitinib donation plan and efforts to sew up royalty free voluntary licenses with local Indian firms as challenger Natco seeks a compulsory license for its version of the JAK inhibitor, which it is ready to launch.

The pharmaceutical industry in Europe has attacked the US decision to come out in support of a relaxation of IP rights that is designed to boost global production of COVID-19 vaccines. But the move by the Biden administration could well cause other countries to rethink their opposition to the move.

After setting up a sales base in the UK, Serum Institute could consider an acquisition in Europe or investment in an Oxford facility as it ties up production for its multiple COVID-19 vaccines. Is Wockhardt’s Wrexham facility an option?

The UK drug discovery specialist has made slow progress until now, but the Sanofi deal could yield a challenger in the competitive psoriasis field.

The legal challenge is risky for the European Commission, with AZ’s contract only binding it to make ‘best reasonable efforts’ to deliver vaccines to schedule.

Although 2020 was the best year ever for Swiss biotech financing activities, no domestic IPOs were launched by the sector. But introducing the SPAC might change that.

Growing evidence of an association between the vaccine and rare, sometimes fatal blood clots puts Europe’s vaccine program leaders in a difficult position.

Drug manufacturers still have a variety of ways to limit the impact of the Biden administration’s historic decision. Whether the huge political loss for industry translates into more than just headline-risk or faster global COVID vaccination remains to be seen. It is also not clear whether it is an ominous sign for other industry battles in the US, including the drug pricing debate.

The CDC and FDA recommended a pause on dosing of J&J's one-shot vaccine. Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine showed signs of lower efficacy against the B.1.351 variant, but a prominent expert called the data "misleading." Gilead halted its Phase III study of Veklury in non-hospitalized, high-risk patients. And Rigel's Tavalisse may have a shot in the sickest COVID-19 patients despite the small size of a Phase II study.

Major Japanese firm sets targets under a new mid-term plan that envisages the US oncology sector leading growth and revenues, and also casts an eye to novel assets beyond three pillar antibody-drug conjugates and new digital technologies.

A COVID-19 vaccine alliance between US, Japan, India and Australia announced funding for Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine made by Biological E. Will the arrangement be extended to other vaccines and will the alliance push US to address materials export concerns, recently raised by Serum Institute?

Biden Administration seeks to put its stamp on a new phase of the US government’s collaboration with the pharma industry against COVID-19.

Hanmi partner Athenex has had a US complete response letter for its oral paclitaxel plus encequidar product for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, amid concerns of safety risks associated with an increase in neutropenia-related sequelae. While the decision marks another setback for Hanmi in the US, Athenex is aiming to resolve the issues.