BioSpectrum Asia - BioSpectrum Asia Feb 2024

In this issue

Next-Gen ADCs as Precision Weapon Against Cancer
Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) are emerging as a crucial frontier in targeted cancer care. Although the first ADC was approved in 2000, the space has experienced a renaissance in recent times. Major pharmaceutical players like Novartis and Pfizer, including startups, are announcing deals in this space almost every day. Within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, China stands at the forefront of ADC drug development. GlobalData reports that numerous domestic companies in China are actively shifting their focus towards the creation of pioneering ADC-based treatment options, particularly for solid tumours like breast, gastric, and bladder
cancer. When we observe World Cancer Day on February 4, we explore the promising world of next-gen ADCs, exploring advancements and unravelling the advantages they offer compared to other therapies like cell and gene therapies.

Japan approves first at-home migraine treatment in the form of Neurolief's neuromodulation device

US-based Neurolief has announced the approval of its neuromodulation device, Relivion, by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW).

1 min

New Zealand to make amendments to International Health Regulations

The Ministry of Health is inviting the views of New Zealanders on proposals to update a significant global health agreement.

1 min

Korea's LegoChem Biosciences inks $1.7B pact with J&J for ADC development

South Korea's LegoChem Biosciences (LCB) has entered into a license agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc. (Janssen), a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) company, to develop and commercialise LCB84, a Trop2-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC).

1 min

Indian Immunologicals invests Rs 700 Cr in new vaccine manufacturing plant in India

Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) has started construction of its new greenfield veterinary vaccine facility to manufacture the Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine (FMD-Vac) as well as Foot and Mouth Disease + Haemorrhagic Septicaemia Vaccine (FMD+HS-Vac) in Hyderabad’s Genome valley, India.

1 min

Zuellig Pharma & Substipharm Biologics expand access to Japanese Encephalitis vaccine across Asia

Singapore-based Zuellig Pharma has announced its commercialisation partnership with French pharmaceutical company Substipharm Biologics, to expand access of the IMOJEV Japanese encephalitis vaccine across nine markets in Asia, including Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is transmitted with mosquitoes and causes inflammation in the brain and is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable encephalitis in Asia.

1 min

Lunit AI solutions to power Samsung's X-ray devices for advanced chest screening

South Korea-based company Lunit, a leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, has announced a three-year supply contract with Samsung Electronics (Samsung Healthcare).

1 min

Novartis acquires Chinese startup SanReno Therapeutics to enhance kidney diseases treatment

China-based startup SanReno Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company specialising in the discovery, development, and commercialisation of innovative therapies for kidney diseases, has announced its acquisition by Novartis, a global medicines company.

1 min

WHO grants Emergency Use Listing to Biological E's COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax

Biological E (BE), an India-based vaccines and pharmaceutical company, has announced that the World Health Organization (WHO) has granted an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) to their Corbevax vaccine, which is India's first indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine that is based on protein sub-unit platform.

1 min

Novo Nordisk Foundation signs $25M partnership with CARB-X to fight drug-resistant infections

Denmark-headquartered Novo Nordisk Foundation is committing up to $25 million to support the early-stage development of innovative tools to prevent, diagnose and treat the most dangerous drug-resistant bacterial infections.

1 min

Next-Gen ADCs as Precision Weapon Against Cancer

Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) are emerging as a crucial frontier in targeted cancer care. Although the first ADC was approved in 2000, the space has experienced a renaissance in recent times. Major pharmaceutical players like Novartis and Pfizer, including startups, are announcing deals in this space almost every day. Within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, China stands at the forefront of ADC drug development. GlobalData reports that numerous domestic companies in China are actively shifting their focus towards the creation of pioneering ADC-based treatment options, particularly for solid tumours like breast, gastric, and bladder cancer. When we observe World Cancer Day on February 4, we explore the promising world of next-gen ADCs, exploring advancements and unravelling the advantages they offer compared to other therapies like cell and gene therapies.

7 mins

Breakthroughs in Rare Diseases Therapeutics

2024 rings positive for those suffering from some kind of rare disease. On January 16, 2024, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Casgevy, a therapy that uses CRISPR gene-editing to treat the serious blood disorder, transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia, marking the second major US regulatory approval for the emerging gene-editing technology. This approval is a testament to the breakthroughs in therapeutics for rare medical conditions.

5 mins

New Zealand MedTech Guns for Global Reach

New Zealand's medical technology industry is experiencing rapid growth. In 2022, the Technology Investment Network (TIN) reported that 17 MedTech companies ranked among the country's top 200 technology firms. A mix of established and emerging innovators is addressing challenging issues, from innovative surgical techniques to Al-driven micro-implantable devices. This transformation is fuelled by substantial support from both the government and private sector. Let's delve into the details of New Zealand's thriving MedTech ecosystem.

4 mins

"Al's superior speed & learning capability make it a natural fit for healthcare tasks demanding precision & early detection"

Vietnam’s VinBrain is developing AI solutions for healthcare and has developed more than 300 AI models specifically designed for processing medical images. DrAid, its groundbreaking intelligent AI platform, is positioned as the 'right-hand' assistant for healthcare professionals to enhance productivity and reduce patient care costs. Steven Quoc Hung Truong, Founder and CEO of VinBrain shares key insights into the company, its challenges, and ethical and regulatory considerations.

7 mins

"Indian pharma is globally competitive and forwardlooking in technology, policy and industrial strategy"

From policy frameworks to addressing industry challenges and positioning, the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Government of India forthcoming initiatives to overhaul the pharma industry, are paving the way towards global pharmaceutical dominance. Dr Arunish Chawla, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Government of India in an exclusive interview with BioSpectrum, shares insights into the comprehensive strategy aimed at reshaping India's pharmaceutical landscape, propelling the nation to the forefront in the global arena.

2 mins

"We no longer need to endure the ravages of ageing"

Ageing is a natural part and the \"last mile\" of a human development programme, and Gero pioneered ways to understand, measure, and, ultimately, control its progression. Gero, a longevity biotech physics-enabled biotechnology company from Singapore is creating therapeutics against chronic diseases with a mission to slow down human ageing itself.

5 mins

How Biotech Sector Can Capitalise on AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now ramified in every sector including biotechnology. The impact of AI is already visible in the biotech sector and there is a boom of startups using AI for various applications. However, there is a need to develop a holistic regulatory system to make the technology more responsible. Let's explore further.

5 mins

Can Knowledge Graphs Revolutionise Pharma R&D?

In life sciences, the adoption of new standards such as Study Data Tabulation Model (SDTM) and Analysis Data Model (ADAM) is proving critical for efficient and effective data management and sharing. SDTM provides a new way of organising human clinical and nonclinical study data tabulations, which is required for data submission to regulatory bodies like the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) Japan, while ADAM defines dataset and metadata standards for clinical trial statistical analyses, ensuring efficient generation, replication, and review of data. The Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC) 360 is another important initiative that aims to implement standards as linked metadata to support metadata-driven automation across the entire clinical research data lifecycle, making it easier for researchers to analyse and share their findings. The digital transformation of pharma industry regulatory processes, hence, has started to make data a key tool. However, with the increasing volume and complexity of data generated in drug discovery and clinical research, life sciences R&D practitioners need better ways of organising, structuring and exploiting their data, at scale.

5 mins

Singapore Institute of Technology offers new programmes in Health Sciences and Engineering

The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is launching new programmes in Health Sciences and Engineering in Academic Year 2024.

1 min

IIT Madras & Deakin University, Australia to launch academy for cutting edge healthcare research

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) and Deakin University, Australia, have announced the launch of 'IIT Madras Deakin University Research Academy.'

1 min

Asieris Pharma picks Sophia Cao to lead women's health business unit

Asieris Pharmaceuticals has announced its set-up of the Women's Health Business Unit for commercialisation.

1 min

Dr Kuldeep Singh Sachdeva to assume key leadership role at Molbio Diagnostics

India-based Molbio Diagnostics has announced the appointment of Dr Kuldeep Singh Sachdeva to its leadership team.

1 min

Australia develops tool to identify dust lung disease risk

A new dust testing methodology developed by Australia-based University of Queensland researchers offers workers better protection from diseases such as black lung and silicosis.

1 min

Korea designs wrist rotation module to enhance usability and efficiency in prosthetic limbs

Robotic assistive devices play a crucial role in supporting the daily activities of individuals with congenital disabilities or those who have experienced unfortunate accidents.

1 min

Indian researchers link ageing of cells with ovarian cancer spread

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru have found that ovarian cancer cells can spread more easily in tissues that are senescent or aged because these tissues secrete a unique extracellular matrix that attracts the spreading cancer.

1 min

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BioSpectrum Asia Magazine Description:

BioSpectrum Asia Magazine is a monthly magazine published by MM Activ Sci-Tech Communication in India. It is a leading biotechnology magazine in Asia, covering a wide range of topics related to the biotechnology industry, including:

* Biotechnology news and trends: BioSpectrum Asia covers the latest biotechnology news and trends from India and around the world.
* Biotechnology company profiles and interviews: The magazine profiles leading biotechnology companies in Asia and interviews their CEOs and other top executives.
* Biotechnology research and development: BioSpectrum Asia covers the latest biotechnology research and development from academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies.
* Biotechnology product reviews: The magazine reviews the latest biotechnology products and services.
* Biotechnology industry events: BioSpectrum Asia covers biotechnology industry events from around the world.

BioSpectrum Asia Magazine is a must-read for anyone who wants to stay informed about the latest advances in biotechnology and their potential to impact the world around us.