1/22 Taiwan Life Sciences Biweekly Newsletter
2024-01-23 |
| Taiwan Life Sciences Biweekly |
| ASCO GI 2024: Golden Biotech's Antroquinonol Shows Significantly Prolonged Survival in Untreated Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Patients Press release 18 January, 2024 Golden Biotechnology Corp. (TW: 4132), an advanced biopharmaceutical drug development company, had unveiled the findings of its Phase II clinical trial investigating Antroquinonol (HOCENA) in combination with the standard of care (SOC): nab-paclitaxel + gemcitabine, as first-line treatment for metastatic pancreatic cancer. The trial showed a positive median overall survival (mOS) of 14.1 months, which is a substantial increase compared to 8.5 months mOS observed in the standard of care Phase III clinical study (nab-paclitaxel + gemcitabine). Notably, when compared to current first-line treatment options for this very difficult to treat cancer, there was a highly significant survival advantage of patients treated with oral Antroquinonol in combination with SOC. Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer remains a devastating disease with very low survival rate and significant unmet medical needs in terms of treatment options. More... |
| Compal: Medical industry a crucial puzzle piece for company over the next 5-10 years 17 January, 2024 Compal's (TW: 2324) General Manager Martin Wong, in attending the group's annual event last week, emphasized that the medical field is a crucial puzzle piece for the company over the next 5 to 10 years. On the hardware side, Compal intends to leverage its existing advantages in the information and communication industry, further integrating AI technology. Currently, Compal Group is preparing for its first factory in Indonesia, specifically to expand the development of its subsidiary, Kinpo Biotech. The biomedical business is set to become a significant growth driver for Compal going forward, according to the company More... (in Chinese) |
| Bora Pharmaceuticals to Acquire US Pharma Manufacturer Upsher-Smith for US$210 Million in Transaction to Fuel Global Expansion Press release 16 January, 2024 Bora Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (TW: 6472), today announced that its Board of Directors has approved the acquisition of Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc., a generics manufacturer based in Minnesota, US, from shareholders, Sawai Group Holdings Co., Ltd. (JP), and Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, for a total consideration of up to US$210 million. More... |
| Brain Navi Announces 100th Surgical Procedure Completed Using NaoTrac Press release 16 January, 2024 Brain Navi announced the completion of the 100th case utilizing its neurosurgical navigation robot NaoTrac. The 100th case has been performed by Neurosurgery Department Director Dr. Hao-Yu Chuang at Annan Hospital in Tainan, Taiwan. More... |
| Merdury Biopharmaceutical Applies for US FDA Orphan Drug Designation for its new drug technology platform 14 January, 2024 Merdury Biopharmaceutical announced that it had developed its patented StackDose new drug technology platform to enhance EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate) for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), aiming to improve its bioavailability. The company has submitted an Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) application to the US FDA for review. More... (in Chinese) |
| Lotus Pharmaceutical, Polaris Group, and Turvo International benefit from the weight loss medication boom 12 January, 2024 Two major international pharmaceutical companies, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, ignited a global boom in the sales of weight loss medications last year. The domestic biomedical community has also sensed the business opportunity, with companies such as Lotus Pharmaceutical (TW: 1795), Polaris Group, TCM Biotech International, and Orient EuroPharma progressively entering the development and marketing of related medications. Turvo International is even the sole supplier in Taiwan for the injection components of Novo Nordisk's weight loss medication. More... (in Chinese) |
| Ta Ya Group and Center Laboratories set to enter the weight loss medication market 12 January, 2024 The Ta Ya Group (TW: 1609) and Center Laboratories' joint venture, Immunwork, announced that they have successfully developed the ultra-long-acting GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) TE-8105, and will initiate a Phase I clinical trial in April of this year, entering the markets for both Type 2 diabetes and weight loss medications. Founder of Immunwork, Chang Tse-Wen, stated that this new drug is not intended for international licensing, but instead the company plans to seize the global market starting from Taiwan in the quest for a share of the multi-billion-dollar market. More... (in Chinese) |
| Government to support CDMO industry: MOEA 12 January, 2024 The government plans to help boost the local small-molecule drug CDMO industry by cooperating with firms to jointly develop key technology platforms, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said yesterday. More... |
| NSTC launches plan to develop agetech industry 11 January, 2024 The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) announced the launch of the "Gerontechnology Industry Development Plan" on 10th January and looks forward to working with the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Education, Ministry of the Interior and eight other ministries to develop a gerontechnology industry. NSTC officials cited health data collection through smart watches, integrated home care services and AI facial expression recognition as examples of potential gerontechnology businesses. More... |
| Study: Long-Term Use of Topical Corticosteroids Linked to Osteoporosis 11 January, 2024 A high cumulative dose of topical corticosteroid from long-term use may increase risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture, according to a recent study in Taiwan. While this risk has long been connected to systemic corticosteroid use, research into topical corticosteroids and bone damage has been inconclusive, the study authors claim, and information on corticosteroids’ effects on different sexes, ages and ethnic groups has also been lacking. More... |
| JPM 2024: Taiwan's Pharma Giant Bora Pharmaceuticals Climbing US Pharmaceutical Summit 10 January, 2024 On Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at 05:00 PM PST, during the key presentation of Bobby Sheng, the CEO of Bora Pharmaceuticals, in the 42nd J.P. Morgan Health Conference, highlighting its pharmaceutical market presence and financial performance until December 2023. More... |
| CH Biotech R&D sets another record-high revenue in 2023 10 January, 2024 CH Biotech R&D (TW: 6534) has benefited from market recovery, new product launches, and the acquisition of new customers through product licensing, according to a company announcement. In December 2023, revenue reached an impressive NT$74 million, showing a remarkable year-on-year increase of 340 percent. The annual revenue for the entire year amounted to NT$1.515 billion, marking a growth of 5.63 percent and achieving another historical high. Over the past two years, ongoing extreme weather conditions, coupled with inflation and food crises caused by conflicts, as well as global policies reducing pesticides by 50 percent and fertilizers by 20 percent, have increased the demand for sustainable agricultural fertilizers and production regulators that can enhance productivity and drought resistance. The rise of sustainable fertilizers and growth regulators has become an unstoppable trend, serving as a driving force behind the growth in CH Biotech R&D's performance. More... |
| ScinoPharm optimistic about API business in 2024 10 January, 2024 ScinoPharm Taiwan, a renowned API integrated service provider, announced that its revenue reached a record high of NT$567 million in December last year, with record revenue of NT$1.123 billion in the fourth quarter alone, thanks to several new generic drugs approved in the second half of last year. Revenue for 2023 reached NT$3.186 billion, comparable to last year. ScinoPharm's cumulative revenue last year generated nearly NT$3.2 billion, which is comparable to 2022. More... |
| Meribank Biotech teams up with MTAMTech for breakthrough neurodegenerative disease treatment 9 January, 2024 Meribank Biotech (TW: 4724) announced a collaboration with MTAMTech Corporation in the development of a novel encapsulated cell therapy, MTAM-ECT, and featured in the latest issue of the international journal Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. This collaboration introduces a groundbreaking treatment method for neurodegenerative diseases. Meribank provided functional mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSC) from their database, encapsulating these stem cells into MTAMTech's developed microtube array membrane. The structure of the microtube array membrane is uniquely composed of hollow microtubes made from polymer materials, with each fiber having a diameter only 1/4th that of human hair. These nano-sized threads are organized into a hollow fiber membrane. Stem cells encapsulated within the membrane can stably release targeted exosomes for an extended period, thereby reducing the deposition of brain neurodegenerative factors such as pTAU. More... (in Chinese) |
| Common Diabetes Pills Also Protect Kidneys 9 January, 2024 Medication people with type 2 diabetes use to manage their blood sugar also appear to protect their hearts and kidneys, according to a new [Taiwanese] study in JAMA Network Open. These pills, known as sodium-glucose cotransport protein 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, reduce the amount of blood sugar in a kidney by causing more glucose to be excreted in urine. More... |
| PharmaEssentia's Ropeg, still the recommended first-choice medication for PV by the US National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) 8 January, 2024 PharmaEssentia (TW: 6446) announced that in the latest treatment guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) in the United States, PharmaEssentia's drug, Ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft (Ropeg), continues to be recommended as the sole first-line option for both high and low-risk polycythemia vera (PV) treatment. More... (in Chinese) |
| Taiwan's pharma companies eye on ADCs more than ever 8 January, 2024 ADCs (antibody-drug conjugates) are the talk of the town, with China's Medilink Therapeutics kicking off the new year by announcing a potential $1 billion deal with Roche. Back to Taiwan, OBI Pharma also recently announced that its OBI-992 TROP2 has been approved by the US FDA for a Phase I/II trial, which has attracted attention for being ahead of domestic pharma companies. Immunwork and TE-Meds, led by Dr Tse-Wen Chang, a renowned expert in antibody research, will also hold an investor conference on 11 January, following the announcement of its latest ADC platform, which will once again put ADC at the center of attention. More... |
| ========================================= |
| Taiwan Bio Industry Organization (Taiwan BIO) Contact: Daisy Tsai Tel: +886 2 27836028 ext 14 FAX : +886 2 27836027 Mobile: +886 933-139647 | Line ID : daisy222 Email: daisy@taiwanbio.org.tw BIO Asia-Taiwan 2024 (24-28 July, 2024) ========================================= Taiwan Bio Industry Organization (TBIO) Room C229, Bldg. C, No.99, Ln. 130, Sec. 1, Academia Rd., Nangang Dist., Taipei, Taiwan (11571) ========================================= |