Elekta and Sinopharm collaborate to improve access and quality of cancer care in China (Company website)

Swedish radiation therapy equipment maker Elekta has signed a joint venture with China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm), to increase the adoption of radiation therapy in so-called lower-tier cities, where around 70 percent of the population resides.

Sinopharm covers all aspects of healthcare, not only pharmaceuticals, including R&D, manufacturing, logistics and distribution, and healthcare delivery. Through the joint venture agreement, Elekta will improve access to over 1,000 medical institutions in small cities within Sinopharm Group’s service network.

 

China’s NMPA approves Shengdi’s adebrelimab for extensive SCLC (BioWorld)

China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved Shanghai Shengdi’s adebrelimab (SHR-1316) for first-line treatment of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) in combination with chemotherapy. The approval in mainland China makes adebrelimab the third domestic PD-L1 monoclonal antibody to make it to the domestic market. Shanghai Shengdi is a subsidiary of Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co. Ltd.

 

Biocytogen signs RMB 596 M cancer immunotherapy deal with Chipscreen Biosciences in China (BioSpectrum Asia Edition)

Beijing-based Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Eucure Biopharma has reached an exclusive licensing agreement with Chipscreen NewWay Biosciences, a holding subsidiary of Shenzhen Chipscreen Biosciences for the clinical development and commercialisation of bispecific antibody YH008 in Greater China (including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan).

 

China’s Biocytogen partners with Janssen for discovery of new antibody-based drugs (BioSpectrum Asia Edition)

Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals has signed a non-exclusive license agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc., one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Under the agreement, Biocytogen grants Janssen and its affiliates a non-exclusive worldwide license to use Biocytogen’s proprietary RenLite platform and underlying intellectual property to discover, research, develop, manufacture and commercialise fully human antibody therapeutics with a common light chain and other biological therapeutics for an unlimited number of drug targets and indications.

 

China’s first personalised neoantigen-targeted cancer vaccine gets clinical trial approval (BioSpectrum Asia Edition)

Likang Life Sciences has received the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approval for the clinical trial of its personalised neoantigen-targeted vaccine for advanced solid tumors, LK101 Injection. This is the first personalised neoantigen vaccine & mRNA editing product approved by the NMPA to enter the clinical stage.

 

FDA approves the CSF-1R inhibitor Pimicotinib from Abbisko Therapeutics to enter Global Multi-center Phase III Clinical Trial (PR Newswire)

Shanghai-based Abbisko Therapeutics announced that the FDA had approved its CSF-1R inhibitor pimicotinib(ABSK021for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter Phase III clinical study in patients with giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath. This is another important milestone after pimicotinib was approved for breakthrough therapy designation in China and the US.

 

In push to expand its CAR-T therapies to US, China biotech Oricell raises additional USD 45M (Endpoints)

Shanghai biotech Oricell has raised an additional USD 45 million for its preclinical and early-stage cancer cell therapies. Following a showing at ASCO last year with a GPRC5D-directed CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma, Oricell raised a USD120 million Series B in July. The latest raise is an extension of that round, and was led by RTW Investments and Qatar Investment Authority, followed by existing investors Qiming Venture Partners and C&D Emerging Industry Equity Investment.

 

F-star’s sale to Chinese buyer cleared by CFIUS following months of holdup (Endpoints)

After taking several months to review F-star’s proposed sale to a Chinese company, the US government’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has finally given its blessing for the deal. The clearance comes almost nine months after invoX Pharma, a subsidiary of China’s Sino Biopharm, first struck a deal to buy out F-star for USD 161 million.

 

Adding to Claudin18.2 portfolio, AstraZeneca pays USD 63M for antibody-drug conjugate out of China (Endpoints)

AstraZeneca is sliding another candidate that targets Claudin18.2 into its pipeline — and this time it is  going for one that is already in the clinic. The pharma giant is grabbing CMG901, an antibody-drug conjugate, from China’s KYM Biosciences. In its announcement, AstraZeneca spotlighted Claudin18.2 as a promising target in gastric cancer.