HONG KONG – Lianbio Co. Ltd. has inked a deal for the development and commercialization of Reviral Ltd.’s sisunatovir, picking up rights to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) candidate in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore in exchange for an up-front cash payment of $14 million and development and commercial milestone payments of up to $105 million.
HONG KONG – Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. picked up the greater China rights to Scynexis Inc.’s lead candidate, ibrexafungerp. Hansoh will take charge of the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of the antifungal in exchange for a $10 million up-front payment and as much as $112 million in milestones.
HONG KONG – Ferring Pharmaceuticals’ microbiome-focused subsidiary Rebiotix Inc. and Mybiotics Pharma Ltd. have agreed to a multiyear strategic collaboration to develop live microbiota-based biotherapeutics to address bacterial vaginosis.
PERTH, Australia – Synthetic cannabinoid company Botanix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. announced top-line data from a phase IIa study showing that two different formulations of BTX-1801, a synthetic cannabidiol (CBD), eradicated Staphylococcus aureus (staph) in the nose, meeting study endpoints for safety and efficacy.
New phase III data on Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.'s TAK-620 (maribavir) for the treatment of transplant recipients with tough-to-treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections met the trial's primary endpoint, setting the company up to file an NDA for the oral antiviral in the first half of next year.
An international study led by Nanyang Technological University in Singapore has designed and synthesized broad-spectrum antimicrobial polymers (AMPs) and demonstrated the safety and efficacy of two such agents against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in mouse models of sepsis.
LONDON – The world’s first COVID-19 human challenge trial is due to start in London next year, after the government announced £33.6 million (US$43.5 million) funding for the project.
PERTH, Australia – Sydney-based Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd. completed a placement of AU$27.95 million (US$19.69 million) to advance its synthetic anti-infective pipeline.
HONG KONG – Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) research enterprise in Singapore have found a way to not just reverse antibiotic resistance but also increase sensitivity in some bacteria, using hydrogen sulfide.
Cansino Biologics Inc. launched its second pre-revenue share offering on Aug. 13, reaping ¥5.2 billion ($749 million) from Shanghai’s STAR market. Trading under the ticker 688185, its shares surged 87.5% to close at ¥393 on the first trading day. The company, currently developing 16 vaccine candidates for 13 infectious diseases, has grabbed headlines this year for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, Ad5-nCoV, which is due to enter phase III trials in Saudi Arabia shortly.