SINGAPORE – China, India, Japan and Korea are prominent Asian players in the global biotech space, while Singapore has emerged as an increasingly notable global contributor, but there remains a gap in terms of contributions from other parts of Southeast Asia. A common theme emerging this week at the Phar-East Pharma and Biotech Festival (formerly known as the BioPharma Asia Convention) focused on ways to foster biotech and bioentrepreneurship in the region.

HONG KONG – Celltrion Inc., of Incheon, South Korea, recently received marketing approval from the European Commission for its biosimilar trastuzumab, Herzuma. Based on Roche Holding AG and Genentech Inc.'s targeted therapy, Herceptin, Herzuma is cleared for marketing in the 28 member states of the European Union (EU), in addition to Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.

HONG KONG – Celltrion Inc., of Incheon, South Korea, recently received marketing approval from the European Commission for its biosimilar trastuzumab, Herzuma. Based on Roche Holding AG and Genentech Inc.'s targeted therapy, Herceptin, Herzuma is cleared for marketing in the 28 member states of the European Union (EU), in addition to Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.

HONG KONG – The IND filed by Immuneoncia Therapeutics Inc. for its anti-PD-L1 candidate received a speedy approval from the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), setting the stage for initiation of clinical trials.

HONG KONG – Japan's Santen Inc. disclosed positive top line results from the phase I/II study of its carotuximab candidate, DE-122, for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).