AstraZeneca to Establish $2.5 Billion R&D Hub in Beijing, Expanding Vaccine and Biotech Partnerships By Thomas Yuan BEIJING — AstraZeneca has unveiled a sweeping $2.5 billion investment plan to build its sixth global strategic research and development center in Beijing, a move that underscores the pharmaceutical giant’s long-term commitment to China’s life sciences sector and its ambitions in biopharmaceutical innovation. The new facility will serve as a cornerstone for AstraZeneca’s expansion in China, with the company also announcing several high-profile partnerships aimed at advancing next-generation drug development and vaccine production. Among the newly signed agreements, AstraZeneca has entered into R&D cooperation with Hebo Pharmaceuticals to pursue multi-specific antibody therapies, as well as a development collaboration with Yuansisheng Peptide focused on macrocyclic peptide drugs, a cutting-edge category of targeted therapies. In addition, the company has launched a joint venture with Kangtai Biological, which will focus on the development, production, and commercialization ...
Zhifei Biotech Acquires Majority Stake in Chen’an Bio to Expand into Therapeutic Biopharmaceuticals By Thomas Yuan CHONGQING — Zhifei Biotech has announced a strategic acquisition to broaden its footprint beyond vaccines and into the realm of therapeutic biopharmaceuticals, investing 593 million yuan (approximately $82 million) to acquire a 51 percent stake in Chen’an Biotech, a Chongqing-based pharmaceutical company focused on metabolic diseases. The deal, finalized on March 21, marks a key milestone in Zhifei’s goal to become a world-class biopharmaceutical company, enabling the firm to diversify its product pipeline and tap into high-growth therapeutic areas like diabetes and obesity. According to an asset appraisal report, the pre-investment valuation of 100 percent of Chen’an Biotech was set at 570 million yuan. Under the agreement, 471 million yuan of Zhifei’s investment will be allocated to Chen’an’s registered capital, while the remaining 122 million yuan will go toward the company’s capital reserves. Upon ...
AIM Vaccine Gains U.S. FDA Approval for mRNA Shingles Vaccine Trial By Thomas Yuan BEIJING — AIM Vaccine has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin clinical trials for its mRNA herpes zoster vaccine, the company announced on March 23, marking another major step in its global expansion and bolstering its position as China’s mRNA vaccine pioneer. The new shingles vaccine demonstrated superior performance in preclinical trials, with T cell immunity, IgG antibody titers, and FAMA titers significantly outperforming an internationally available recombinant subunit vaccine, according to third-party testing agencies. The approval is the second green light from the U.S. FDA for AIM’s mRNA pipeline, following the earlier clearance of its mRNA RSV vaccine. With a growing portfolio that includes mRNA candidates for influenza, rabies, and respiratory illnesses, AIM has signaled its intent to compete on the international stage by leveraging its modular mRNA platform — ...
Clover Biopharmaceuticals Launches U.S. Trial for RSV Booster Vaccine SCB-1019 By Thomas Yuan CHENGDU — Clover Biopharmaceuticals has received investigational new drug (IND) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its RSV vaccine candidate, SCB-1019, the company announced on March 24. The first batch of elderly participants has already been enrolled in a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of SCB-1019 as a booster vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus. The trial will recruit up to 160 subjects between the ages of 60 and 85, all of whom had previously received GSK’s AREXVY, the leading approved RSV vaccine, at least two seasons prior. Participants will be randomized to receive either a heterologous booster dose of SCB-1019, a homologous booster of AREXVY, or a placebo. The study aims to assess safety, reactogenicity, and immune response in the context of repeat vaccination. The company’s approach leverages a ...
CPhI Worldwide 2025 to Convene in Frankfurt, Spotlighting Global Pharmaceutical Innovation By Thomas Yuan FRANKFURT — The world’s premier pharmaceutical ingredient exhibition, CPhI Worldwide 2025, will be held from October 28 to 30 at the Congress Centre Frankfurt, located at Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1, 60327 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Organized by Informa Markets, the event is expected to draw thousands of global professionals across the biopharmaceutical, medical technology, and health product sectors. Since its launch in 1990, CPhI Worldwide has evolved into the most influential platform for sourcing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), exploring innovative drug formulations, and networking across the international medical supply chain. This year’s edition continues the tradition of excellence, offering a comprehensive showcase of breakthrough technologies and next-generation therapeutics. Diverse Product Categories Covering the Full Pharma Spectrum The exhibition will feature a wide array of products and services, spanning the entire pharmaceutical ecosystem: APIs: Including vitamins, hormones, analgesics, ...
China Launches First Clinical Trial of Intravenous Oncolytic Virus Therapy VRT106 By Thomas Yuan GUANGZHOU — On March 19, 2025, researchers at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University announced a key milestone in the development of VRT106, the world’s first oncolytic virus therapy based on the M1 skeleton of the hepatitis A virus. The Phase I clinical trial has officially begun, with the first patient enrolled and dosed via intravenous injection, showing no adverse reactions or infusion-related events. Jointly led by Professor Peng Liang and Professor Xie Chan from the Department of Infectious Diseases, and Professor Dong Min from Oncology, the trial marks the initial human validation stage for this novel biopharmaceutical designed to treat a range of advanced solid tumors, including liver cancer, colon cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, and cervical cancer. Precision-Targeted Therapy With Dual Anti-Cancer Action Developed by Guangzhou Weilunte Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. (Weilunte), ...
Junshi Biotech Advances Dual-Target ADC Therapy JS212 into Clinical Trials By Thomas Yuan SHANGHAI — Junshi Biotechnology announced yesterday that it has received official approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration to begin clinical trials for JS212, a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting two key cancer receptors: EGFR and HER3. The investigational drug marks the company’s first dual-drug ADC to enter the clinical phase and signals a major milestone in its pipeline of innovative oncology therapies. JS212 is a recombinant humanized bispecific antibody conjugate, designed to treat advanced malignant solid tumors such as lung cancer, breast cancer, and head and neck cancers. These tumor types often exhibit high co-expression of EGFR and HER3, which are known to drive cancer proliferation, migration, and resistance to existing therapies. “JS212 represents an important step forward in our pursuit of precision oncology,” Junshi said in its statement. “Its bispecific targeting could offer broader therapeutic ...
Recently, Moon Surgical announced today that its ScoPilot artificial intelligence platform, developed based on Nvidia technology, has been approved by the US FDA and will be applied to Moon Surgical’s flagship product, the Maestro surgical robot. The first AI system to achieve real-time operation during surgery Moon Surgical was founded in 2019 as a surgical robot startup focused on developing surgical robots for laparoscopic assistance, formerly known as MastOR. It is worth mentioning that the chairman of Moon Surgical’s board of directors is Dr. Frederic Moll, co-founder of Intuitive Medicine and the “father of surgical robots”. The ScoPilot artificial intelligence platform approved this time is the first AI system that can achieve real-time intraoperative operation on a commercial surgical robot platform, aiming to develop and deploy artificial intelligence (AI) based operating room (OR) applications. This platform is built on NVIDIA Holoscan technology and can provide surgeons with the following core ...
According to the China Medical Device Innovation and Priority Approval Database, two products are proposed to be approved as innovative medical devices in Beijing in recent public announcements released by local drug supervision and administration bureaus across the country. They are: the 3D4K fluorescence electronic chest and abdominal cavity endoscope from Seno Micro Medical Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Seno Micro), and the 3D4K fluorescence endoscope image processor. Multiple innovative achievements have been implemented Founded in 2015, Sinovac has been dedicated to the fields of minimally invasive surgery and minimally invasive interventional therapy for tumors, striving to become the world’s preferred provider of comprehensive minimally invasive surgical solutions. After years of development, Sino Micro has built four major platforms: surgical energy, intelligent anastomosis, surgical vision, and tumor ablation, providing a comprehensive solution for minimally invasive surgical treatment worldwide. At present, Sainuo Micro’s product pipeline mainly includes ultrasonic ...
On the evening of March 20, Junshi Biopharma (688180) announced that the company received the “Notice of Approval for Drug Clinical Trial” approved and issued by the National Medical Products Administration, and the clinical trial application for JS212 for injection was approved. The announcement shows that JS212 is a recombinant humanized anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (hereinafter referred to as “EGFR”) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (hereinafter referred to as “HER3”) bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (hereinafter referred to as “ADC”), which is mainly used for the treatment of advanced malignant solid tumors. Compared with single-target ADC drugs, JS212 can exert tumor suppression by binding to EGFR or HER3, and is expected to be effective for a wider range of tumors, and is expected to overcome drug resistance. Preclinical studies have shown that JS212 has high affinity and specific binding to EGFR and HER3, and has demonstrated significant tumor suppression in ...
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