Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd. is out-licensing to Astellas Pharma Inc. two preclinical bispecific macrophage engagers – ES-019, an anti-PD-L1/SIRPα bispecific antibody, and another unnamed program – in a deal worth up to $1.7 billion. The deal marks the Shanghai-based company’s first out-licensing deal, Elpiscience CEO Darren Ji told BioWorld, noting that Astellas will have global rights to both molecules with a potential to in-license two more. Read More
A recent survey on the performance of publicly listed Korean health care firms in 2023 unveiled a still floundering med-tech sector, although local pharmaceutical companies seemed to rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More
After the initial approvals in monogenic inherited diseases, the scope of gene therapy is widening, with new delivery routes, novel vectors, cell-specific targeting and products aiming to treat chronic disorders, all making headway in 2023. Read More
Pharma-biotech pairings continued apace in the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) space, with 2023 capped by Legochem Biosciences Inc. signing a $1.7 billion licensure deal with Johnson & Johnson arm Janssen Biotech Inc. for the former’s Trop2-directed compound, the second-biggest Korean technology transfer agreement. Read More
Of all that happened in 2023, Medicare price negotiations probably top the list as the biggest U.S. biopharma disruptor. Although Congress cleared the way for the negotiations last year when it passed the partisan Inflation Reduction Act, they weren’t fleshed out until this year when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued guidance detailing the rules of the negotiating road. And as usual, the devil is in the details. Read More
Clinical trial updates saw a 5.82% increase for the period of January to November 2023 compared to the same period last year. In November, BioWorld reported on 354 phase I-III trial updates. Although marking a decline from the 416 reported in October, the number of updates still surpasses the previous three months. Read More
One aspect of 2023 our group of executives completely agreed on: the past year was tough financially. And they all foresee a more vibrant year ahead for the market. Giving all of them hope were technological breakthroughs such as artificial intelligence, game changing weight loss drugs, the surging fascination with ADCs and hope for lower interest rates. But uncertainty looms about the upcoming general election in the U.S. and ground-shifting gene therapies. Read More
You asked and we listened. Now, in addition to the daily news lineup, you can create topic alerts to be delivered directly to your inbox or via an RSS reader. It’s easy to set up. Instructions can be found here: https://www.bioworld.com/featured-feeds. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: 60 Degrees, Tyra. Read More
