Gilead has penned a potential $1.5 billion synthetic lethality deal with a Chinese biotech. A cell therapy company could end a one-year-plus biotech IPO drought in Tokyo. Novo Nordisk faces increased GLP-1 competition in China. And more.
1. Gilead's latest synthetic lethal therapy comes via $1.5B deal with China's Genhouse
Gilead Sciences is paying $80 million upfront for global rights to a clinic-ready, MAT2A-targeting synthetic lethality therapy from China’s Genhouse Bio. The biotech is also in line for up to $1.45 billion in milestone payments as well as royalties. Genhouse has secured IND clearance for the candidate, dubbed GH31, in both China and the U.S.
2. Cell therapy company hopes to end Tokyo biotech IPO drought with $92M offering
Japanese cell therapy company Innovacell aims to go public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Feb. 24. With a regenerative therapy for urge fecal incontinence in phase 3 development, the company plans to initially offer 8.4 million shares at a price of 1,350 Japanese yen apiece. There were no biotech IPOs on Tokyo's stock exchange last year.
3. As China’s drug industry races ahead, its GLP-1 race is accelerating too (Stat)
Novo Nordisk reported a 5% sales decline of Ozempic in China last year. The Chinese GLP-1 market is only getting more crowded as local regulators have approved Innovent Biologics’ mazdutide, Sciwind Biosciences’ ecnoglutide and Benemae Pharmaceutical’s beinaglutide. Semaglutide also faces potential loss of exclusivity in China in March.
4. Blood from pediatricians yields potential new medicines for respiratory viruses
A team of scientists in China has identified antibody candidates for respiratory diseases based on memory B cells collected from seasoned pediatricians. Two of the antibodies showed promise against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in rodents, while a third may hold potential against both RSV and human metapneumovirus.
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