Simcere Pharmaceutical Group has out-licensed its autoimmune drug candidate SIM-0278 for all indications to Almirall SA in a deal worth up to $507 million. Simcere granted exclusive global rights to the candidate to Almirall for development and commercialization excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. In return, Almirall will pay Simcere $15 million up front.

Simcere Pharmaceutical Group has out-licensed its autoimmune drug candidate SIM-0278 for all indications to Almirall SA in a deal worth up to $507 million. Simcere granted exclusive global rights to the candidate to Almirall for development and commercialization excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. In return, Almirall will pay Simcere $15 million up front.

Novo Nordisk A/S received marketing approval from China’s NMPA for its smart insulin pen Novopen Six that automatically collects and stores the date and time of injections and the number of units of insulin that users take.

Jilin Huisheng Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd., a non-wholly owned subsidiary of Sihuan Pharmaceutical Holdings Group Ltd., has raised ¥500 million (US$70 million) in a series A round. Huisheng, which has developed a pipeline of programs addressing both diabetes and its complications, plans to use the new funds to speed up its clinical trials and purchase manufacturing equipment, according to Che Fengsheng, executive director and chairman of Sihuan Pharma.

Innocare Pharma Ltd. raised ¥2.92 billion (US$412 million) in a second listing on the Shanghai STAR Market. Its shares opened at ¥10.86 apiece, sliding 15.4% to close at ¥9.33 on the first trading day, Sept. 21. The company will use the proceeds to support cancer and autoimmune drug R&D, improve its drug development platform, build its sales network, and upgrade its information technology, said Chief Commercial Officer Jin Xiaodong.

Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd. subsidiary Chia Tai-Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. has acquired greater China rights to lanifibranor from Inventiva SA in a deal worth up to $307 million. 

Inspectors from the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) have reportedly arrived in Hong Kong to inspect audit records for the Chinese companies listed by the U.S. SEC as being noncompliant with U.S. accounting standards.

Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd. subsidiary Chia Tai-Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. has acquired greater China rights to lanifibranor from Inventiva SA in a deal worth up to $307 million. Included in the deal are rights to develop and commercialize the drug in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other metabolic diseases.