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CBC Healthcare Infrastructure Platform (CBC HIP) announced plans to build a $137 million biopharmaceutical center in western Shanghai. The company intends to construct eight production facilities and two R buildings.
Beijing Immunochina has raised at least $28 million in a Series D for NDA filing and marketing of its flagship product, CAR-T IM19. IM19, a CD19 CAR-T immunotherapy, has been tested in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia B cells and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Simcere is a drug spouse. The company’s portfolio includes ten CAR-T assets. Immunochina’s most recent investment was jointly made through Beijing Zhongguancun Science City Innovation Development and BCT Capital.
Zhuhai Beihai Biotech has raised $27 million in a Series B circular to expand new oncology drugs. Founded in 2013, Beihai’s lead drug, a cutting-edge product based on docetaxel, has completed clinical trials with seven IND approvals in China and the United States. The company claims that BH009 is the first global candidate based on its platform for generating the release and solubilization of insoluble drugs. A broad-spectrum antitumor drug, BH009 is indicated for fake tumors. Round B led by Yikai Venture Capital.
Beijing CorreGene Biotechnology has finalized a $14 million pre-A investment circular to expand a new cancer drug using its T-cell receptor (T-T receptor) platform. The company claims that TCR-T can target almost any protein expressed through tumor cells, whereas CAR-T drugs are limited to targeted antigens expressed on the surface of tumor cells. The platform rebuilds patients’ T cells with optimized TCR. CorreGene has two applicants in early-stage clinical trials. Riverhead Capital and Xinrui Investment and includes Longmen Capital.
Eucure Biopharma, a Beijing antibody company, will collaborate with ISU ABXIS Korea (KOSDAQ: 086890) to expand trispecific antibodies for cancer indications. ISU ABXIS will use Biocytogen’s humanized anti-CD40 agonist antibody, recently in phase II clinical trials, as the basis for trispecific drugs. Eucure will get an upfront payment, milestone bills and royalties. Eucure is a subsidiary of Biocytogen, a company that provides genetically modified animal models.
China agreed to allow Germany’s BioNTech (BNTX) to bring its COVID mRNA vaccine to China, but only for use through expatriates. The agreement was signed at an official state assembly between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. China does not have an mRNA vaccine approved for its citizens, although it has nine less effective vaccines from its domestic vaccine manufacturers, none of which deal with the omicron variant. In early 2020, Fosun Pharma (OTCPK: SFOSF) acquired the Chinese rights to BioNTech’s COVID mRNA vaccine before Pfizer (PFE) bought the rights for the rest of the world.
China has banned a generic drug from GSK (GSK), fearing that a failed production procedure could cause infections. Avodart (dutasteride) is a generic remedy for urinary retention related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). China banned Avodart for 18 months, until April 29, 2024, and also banned GSK from participating in volume-based source deals during the same period. GSK said Avodart was its only drug eligible for the hospital source program, implying that the ban would not materially affect the company. profit in China.
Hangzhou Akeso Biopharma (OTCPK: AKESF) (HK: 9926) has completed enrollment of patients in a phase III trial in China of ivonescimab (a bispecific PD-1/VEGF antibody) as a second-line remedy for NSCLC (see article). The trial will administer ivonescimab with chemocure. According to Akeso, ivonescimab is a first-class PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody and the first to initiate phase III clinical trials. The company has already initiated two other phase III trials of AK112: one as a monocure instead of pembrolizumab as a first-line remedy for NSCLC and a second-line cure combined with chemocure in EGFR-mutated NSCLC.
Kira Pharmaceuticals, a Boston-Suzhou biotech company, reported the first positive insight in humans from a phase I trial of its bifunctional treatment targeting the choice and terminal complement pathways (see article). In the assay, KP104 produced a dose-dependent inhibition of the target and terminal activation pathways of supplementation, on biomarker knowledge. A month ago, Kira got approval to start phase II trials of KP104 in lupus patients in the United States, China and Australia. Kira focuses on supplement therapies to treat immune-mediated diseases.
Shanghai Antengene (HK: 6996) has obtained approval to initiate Phase I trials in China of its CD73 small molecule inhibitor in patients with metastatic or locally complex forged tumor cancers. CD73 generates adenosine, which leads to immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. The trial will evaluate ATG-037 as monotherapy and in combination with PD-1 Keytruda immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) at the appropriate dose for phase II trials. According to Antengene, treatments that treat the tumor microenvironment will become a very vital component of a cancer care regimen.
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