HONG KONG – Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. has won regulatory approval for Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) in Japan based on a pivotal phase II trial alone. The HER2-directed antibody-drug conjugate has been approved for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer that has progressed after chemotherapy.
HONG KONG – Tokyo-based Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Roche Holding AG, has received approval from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) to add new indication to the list of those treatable with its combination of Tecentriq (atezolizumab) and Avastin (bevacizumab): unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Both medicines originated at Genentech Inc.
HONG KONG – Seongnam-Si, South Korea-based ABL Bio Inc. hopes to file IND applications for two solid tumor-focused bispecific antibodies (BsAb), CEO Sang-hoon Lee, told the 2020 Bioplus Interphex Korea conference.
PERTH, Australia – Australian public health laboratories are collaborating to sequence the virus genomes of all positive COVID-19 tests in Australia to track the virus using genomics across the country. The Communicable Disease Genomics Network (CDGN) and Illumina Inc. will track COVID-19 by using next-generation genomic sequencing technology.
A new randomized controlled trial (RCT) of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) treatment for moderately ill COVID-19 patients run at 39 Indian hospitals found no association between CCP therapy and reduced mortality or progression to severe disease.
HONG KONG – Interim results of a phase I study CT-P59, an anti-COVID-19 monoclonal antibody being developed by Incheon, South Korea-based Celltrion Inc., have confirmed the candidate’s safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics in healthy subjects, giving the company confidence to ramp up production of the experimental antiviral.
PERTH, Australia – With the launch of its lead product, Scenesse (afamelanotide), in the U.S. and Europe, Melbourne-based Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is expanding its global footprint and widening its pipeline as it opens a new R&D center in Singapore and builds up its franchise in photo medicine.
HONG KONG – The use of artificial intelligence in drug discovery was back in the spotlight on the last day of the 2020 KoNECT-MOHW-MFDS International Conference, with drug developers pointing out both challenges and possible solutions.
HONG KONG – Sanofi SA has finally ended its clinical development of Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s efpeglenatide as a type 2 diabetes treatment, and the Korean firm is now considering how to move forward with developing the once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist, which employs Hanmi's Lapscovery delivery technology.
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