Sosei Heptares is fulfilling its ambition for growth in the Asia-Pacific region by buying the Japanese and South Korea businesses of Swiss biotech Idorsia Ltd. for ¥65 billion (US$463 million), potentially freeing Idorsia from its struggle to prove its stroke drug, Pivlaz (clazosentan), is effective enough to warrant approval in key Western markets.

Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. is selling its North American branded ophthalmic portfolio to Visiox Pharma LLC and Harrow Health Inc. in a move to make its global organization as competitive as possible, Santen told BioWorld.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has voluntarily withdrawn its U.S. BLA for its dengue fever vaccine, Qdenga (TAK-003), following discussions with the FDA centered on “aspects of data collection, which cannot be addressed within the current BLA review cycle,” the company said in a statement.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has voluntarily withdrawn its U.S. BLA for its dengue fever vaccine, Qdenga (TAK-003), following discussions with the FDA centered on “aspects of data collection, which cannot be addressed within the current BLA review cycle,” the company said in a statement. News of the withdrawal comes more than a month after the May 23 Qdenga PDUFA date. The future plan for Qdenga in the U.S. will be further evaluated given the need for travelers and those living in dengue-endemic areas of the U.S., such as Puerto Rico.

Astellas Pharma Inc. and 4D Molecular Therapeutics Inc. (4DMT) inked a deal worth up to $942 million under which Astellas will license 4DMT's intravitreal R100 gene therapy vector for rare ophthalmic targets.

The trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) class chalked mix news by way of Astrazeneca plc and Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. as the pair disclosed phase III data from the closely watched Tropion-Lung 1 trial with datopotamab deruxtecan (dato-dxd) against non-small-cell lung cancer.

The trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) class chalked mix news by way of Astrazeneca plc and Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. as the pair disclosed phase III data from the closely watched Tropion-Lung 1 trial with datopotamab deruxtecan (dato-dxd) against non-small-cell lung cancer.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare approved Taiho Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s Lytgobi (futibatinib) for unresectable biliary tract cancer harboring fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) gene fusions that has progressed after chemotherapy.

Aslan Pharmaceuticals Pte Ltd. said it inked a licensing deal with Zenyaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. for its atopic dermatitis-targeting monoclonal antibody, eblasakimab, that could reach $138.5 million in up-front and milestone payments.