1/21 Taiwan Life Sciences Biweekly Newsletter
2025-01-21 |
| Taiwan Life Sciences Biweekly |
| TAHO Pharmaceuticals Receives CDMO Order for sublingual oral film detoxification agent from US 15 January, 2025 TAHO Pharmaceuticals (TW: 6467) has secured a contract from US-based Mithradote Bio to develop the sublingual oral film detoxification agent M-101, aimed at counteracting benzodiazepines and Z-drugs. Chairman Howard Lee emphasized that this collaboration recognizes TAHO's platform technology and regulatory expertise. M-101 is a groundbreaking detoxification agent designed for emergency self-treatment by victims of drink spiking or date rape in locations like nightclubs or bars. The agent rapidly alleviates symptoms when placed under the tongue, preventing further harm such as sexual assault. More... (in Chinese) |
| Orient Europharma acquires regional license for ADC new drug TE-1146 from T-E Meds for NT$270M 15 January, 2025 T-E Meds, founded by Taiwan's Chang Tse-Wen Chang, considered the "Father of Antibodies," announced that its ADC drug TE-1146, developed for multiple myeloma, has been licensed to Orient Europharma (TW: 4120) for Taiwan and Southeast Asia markets, with a licensing fee of NT$270 million to be recognized in two installments this year. T-E Meds' parent company, T-E Pharma Holding, is also preparing for a listing application in Taiwan, aiming to enter the capital markets next year. Additionally, T-E Pharma's subsidiary, Immunowork, is advancing two new drugs: TE-8214 for acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors, set to begin Phase II trials later this year, and TE-8105, a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist for overweight and obese patients, with Phase I/IIa trials expected to conclude by October. More... (in Chinese) |
| Panion & BF Biotech's 3-in-1 rapid test kit receives medical device approval in Taiwan 15 January, 2025 Panion & BF Biotech (TW: 1760) announced that its 3-in-1 Influenza A & B and COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test Kit has received a medical device license from Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare. This 3-in-1 test kit can quickly and accurately detect Influenza A, B, and COVID-19, providing healthcare institutions with a convenient and efficient diagnostic tool. As flu season peaks, there is a surge in demand for rapid testing products. Panion & BF Biotech noted that the 3-in-1 test kit will further strengthen the company's existing product line and is expected to bring double-digit revenue growth to its innovative diagnostics department. More... (in Chinese) |
| Handa Therapeutics Acquires FDA Approved Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Drug, PHYRAGO (dasatinib) Tablets Press release 15 January, 2025 Handa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (TW: 6620) announced that its US subsidiary, Handa Therapeutics, LLC, has acquired PHYRAGO (dasatinib) tablets, a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved chronic myeloid leukemia treatment that was developed by Nanocopoeia, LLC. PHYRAGO is the first and only dasatinib product that can be co-administered with gastric acid-reducing agents. An estimated one-third of patients who require SPRYCEL treatment may also take gastric acid-reducing agents, which can reduce dasatinib's drug exposure by more than 40 percent when taken with a proton pump inhibitor and more than 60 percent when taken with an H2 receptor antagonist. More... (in Chinese) |
| (Taiwan) CMU Healthcare System and Nobel Laureate Randy Schekman Drive New Frontiers in Exosome Technology Press release 15 January, 2024 On November 2, 2024, [Taiwan's] China Medical University (CMU) and Healthcare System hosted the International Forum of Extracellular Vesicles Technology and Novel Therapeutics to highlight Taiwan's advancements and explore new horizons in biomedical applications. Professor Randy Schekman, the 2013 Nobel prize laureate in Physiology/Medicine, was invited as keynote speaker to share his insights in Extracellular Vesicles (EV) technology. Notable scholars and industrial leaders, such as Professor Andreas Mšller, Professor Houjian Cai, Professor Le Thi Nguyet Minh, Professor Johannes Grillari, and members of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles, the Asia Pacific Societies for Extracellular Vesicles, and the Taiwan Society for Extracellular Vesicles attended the forum to discuss the latest advancements in EV research, technology, and applications. More... |
| Eusol Biotech partners with Anxo Pharmaceutical to develop novel oral anticoagulant 14 January, 2025 Eusol Biotech (TW: 6652) and Anxo Pharmaceutical (6677) announced that they had partnered to co-develop a novel oral anticoagulant with global annual sales exceeding US$1 billion, using a patent-avoidance strategy to become the first to launch a generic version. The agreement involves joint efforts in development, production, and marketing, with shared costs and profits. The project aims to complete development within three years, starting with bioequivalence trials in Taiwan, targeting regulatory approval by 2028, and planning subsequent expansion into international markets. More... (in Chinese) |
| Foresee Pharmaceuticals targets August approval for prostate cancer drug new dosage form 14 January, 2025 Foresee Pharmaceuticals (TW: 6576) announced that the US FDA has set the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date for the review of its new 3-month dosage form of the prostate cancer drug CAMCEVI as August 29, 2025. The company highlighted that the market size for the 3-month dosage form in the US is over twice that of the 6-month dosage form. With the goal date established, the company is working closely with the FDA to secure approval by August 2025, aiming to subsequently launch CAMCEVI in the US market. More... (in Chinese) |
| Genovate Biotechnology's new diabetes drug with a novel ingredient approved for sale in China 14 January, 2025 Genovate Biotechnology (TW: 4130) announced that its new diabetes drug DBPR108 (ploglitin) has been approved by China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for sale. The drug is intended for improving blood sugar control in adult patients with Type 2 diabetes, including as a monotherapy and in combination with metformin when blood sugar is not adequately controlled by metformin alone. DBPR108 is a novel DPP4 inhibitor designed to improve blood sugar control in adults with Type 2 diabetes. It offers several development advantages, including long-lasting efficacy, a lower risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain, high safety, minimal side effects, and patent protection. More... (in Chinese) |
| EverFortune.AI medical products to target ASEAN, EU, and US markets Press release 14 January, 2025 AI medical leader EverFortune.AI (TW: 6841) is set for explosive growth in 2025. In a statement, the company said that after successfully entering the Vietnamese market with its AI medical products last year, it plans to expand further into other ASEAN markets, including Thailand and Malaysia. It will also seek alliances with major medical platforms and AI medical companies in Europe and the U.S. EverFortune.AI expects to sustain last year's growth momentum and achieve triple-digit growth in its performance this year. More... (in Chinese) |
| Primo Partners with SHINE to Advance Precision Cancer Care in Asia-Pacific Press release 13 January, 2025 Primo Biotechnology today announced a strategic partnership with SHINE Technologies, LLC, a global leader in nuclear medicine production. The partnership includes a supply and exclusive distribution agreement to introduce Ilumira (n.c.a. lutetium-177, Lu-177), SHINE's high-purity therapeutic isotope, to Taiwan and the broader Asia-Pacific market. This collaboration is set to strengthen PrimoÕs market presence, accelerate advancements in radioligand theranostics (RLT), and usher the region into the next era of precision medicine. More... |
| Disposable scopes drive Medimaging Integrated Solution's strong operational momentum 13 January, 2025 Medimaging Integrated Solution (TW: 6796) expects strong growth in 2025, fueled by its disposable bronchoscopes and cystoscopes. A distribution agreement with a Japanese medical device company for the animal health market began generating revenue with shipments starting late last year. Meanwhile, its disposable cystoscopes, distributed by Boston Scientific, are set to ship in the first quarter, contributing to this year's performance. The company is also negotiating a commercial contract with the largest emergency medical service provider in the US for its disposable bronchoscopes, with plans to promote the product and expand hospital usage this year. More... (in Chinese) |
| NTUH showcases AI telehealth platform 12 January, 2025 National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) on Thursday presented its newly developed telecare system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the occurrence of patient-related emergency events by analyzing text conversations between patients and their live-in caregivers. More... |
| National Taiwan University Hospital and AbbVie Biopharma to strengthen digital strategies for clinical trials 10 January, 2025 National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) and AbbVie Biopharmaceuticals GmbH Taiwan Branch (AbbVie) have signed a cooperation agreement, with the agreement jointly signed by President Ming-Shiang Wu of NTUH and General Manager Richard Sun of AbbVie. The parties will expand their research and development collaboration, strengthen the digital strategy for clinical trials, and leverage new forms of clinical trial research models to accelerate the speed and quality of trial approvals. This collaboration will promote prospective clinical trial research, offer new hope for patient treatments, and work together to enhance the quality and international competitiveness of clinical trials. More... |
| Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp Collaborates with Substipharm Biologics Expanding ENVACGEN¨ Enterovirus A71 Vaccine Market in Southeast Asia Press release 9 January, 2025 Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp (MVC) (TW: 6547) has signed a regional distribution agreement with the pharmaceutical company Substipharm Biologics to expand the market reach of enterovirus vaccine products in Southeast Asia. The two companies have finalized an exclusive distribution agreement for ENVACGEN¨ Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) vaccine in Vietnam as the first country of launch. Collaboration includes other countries in South-East Asia: Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Both parties are committing resources to accelerate the introduction of this high-quality and safe EV-A71 vaccine in these ASEAN markets with significant demand. More... |
| Taiwan's pharma firm Lotus acquires edema medicine rights in Vietnam from Sanofi 9 January, 2025 Taiwan-based Lotus Pharmaceutical (TW: 1795) has acquired the trademark, marketing authorization, economic interest, and manufacturing processes of Alphachymotrypsine Choay for Vietnam from French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi. More... |
| ITRI partners with Singapore's RMT to advance immunotherapy cell technology platform 9 January, 2025 At CES 2025, ITRI announced a partnership with Singapore's RMT Group subsidiary, Raffles Medical Biotech, to commercialize iKNOBeads, its bionic magnetic bead-based platform for manufacturing various immune cells for next-generation immunotherapy, through a soon-to-be-launched startup, InnoCell Tech. The collaboration aims to address the needs of cancer and autoimmune disease treatments, targeting markets in the U.S. and internationally, with the goal of delivering safer and more reliable innovations in immunotherapy. More... (in Chinese) |
| TaiMed Biologics' clinical trial of new HIV drug achieves positive results 8 January, 2025 Press release TaiMed Biologics (TW: 4147) announced that its two long-acting TMB-365 and TMB-380 monoclonal antibody new drugs for treating HIV, in a clinical Phase IIa trial with treatment every two months, achieved significant positive results. The trial successfully met all primary clinical endpoints, with no treatment failure observed in any of the participants who completed the trial. TaiMed emphasized that, unlike the currently marketed long-acting HIV drug Cabenuva and other long-acting HIV treatments in development, which have shown cases of treatment failure in clinical trials, TMB-365/380 showed no such occurrences, marking a significant clinical milestone. More... (in Chinese) |
| Acepodia partners with China's Biocytogen Pharm-B to develop innovative anti-cancer drug BsAD2C 8 January, 2025 Acepodia-KY (TW: 6976) announced a strategic partnership with China's Biocytogen Pharm B to co-develop a bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (BsAD2C) aimed at addressing tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance in cancer treatment. The collaboration combines BiocytogenÕs RenLite platform with Acepodia's antibody-drug conjugate (AD2C) technology, utilizing an innovative dual drug-loading approach to target refractory and recurrent cancers. This partnership seeks to enhance drug specificity and functionality while providing effective solutions for challenging cancer treatments. More... (in Chinese) |
| Andros Pharmaceuticals set to launch IPO application 6 January, 2025 Andros Pharmaceuticals (TW: 6917), announced that it plans to submit an IPO application, while accelerating the development of its new drugs and pursuing global licensing agreements. Andros Pharmaceuticals specializes in the development of improved drugs, focusing on indications such as pain management and skin inflammatory diseases. The company's proprietary S4 localized high-concentration drug delivery system extends the release time of drugs within the skin, reduces skin irritation, and minimizes systemic drug toxicity. Several of its drug candidates have entered mid-to-late-stage clinical trials, and the company has already obtained approvals for two niche generics in Taiwan. Among its achievements, the LALP Cream (a topical anesthetic cream) has been successfully licensed to a pharmaceutical company in Hong Kong. Additionally, the LTC Cream has become the first generic drug for topical use approved in Taiwan under new TFDA regulations, marking the issuance of the country's first topical drug license under this framework. More... (in Chinese) |
| PharmaEssentia Announces Positive Topline Phase 3 Data from SURPASS-ET Study Evaluating Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b-njft (P1101) for Essential Thrombocythemia Press release 7 January, 2025 PharmaEssentia Corporation (TW: 6446), a global biopharmaceutical innovator based in Taiwan leveraging deep expertise and proven scientific principles to deliver new biologics in hematology and oncology, today announced positive topline results from its SURPASS-ET clinical trial of ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft (P1101) in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET). The trial achieved its primary endpoint, showing durable hematologic responses in patients treated with P1101 with a manageable safety profile and a lower rate of treatment-related serious adverse events (TRSAEs). More... (in Chinese) |
| Proteins Assemble Like Superheroes? NYCU Research on "Proteins with IDRs" Offers New Hope for Neurodegenerative Diseases 7 January, 2025 Can proteins assemble in response to a call like superheroes? A research team at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) has uncovered how proteins with intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), despite their lack of fixed structure, aggregate in a highly regulated manner. Driven by changes in environmental pH, this process reveals new molecular mechanisms with promising implications for neurodegenerative disease treatments. This study, published in the prestigious journal Advanced Science, opens the door to potential drug targets and therapeutic strategies. More... |
| GlycoNex Announces Licensing Agreement for SPD8 Biosimilar Press release 6 January, 2025 GlycoNex, Inc. (TW: 4168), hereinafter referred to as GNX), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of glycan-directed cancer immunotherapies, today announced a licensing agreement for its denosumab biosimilar, SPD8. This marks GlycoNex's strategic progress and a significant milestone in its global expansion strategy. More... |
| Taiwan's ITRI set to unveil AI-powered remote patient monitoring system 6 January, 2025 TaiwanÕs Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is set to unveil its AI-based remote patient monitoring technology at CES 2025, taking place in Las Vegas, US from 7 to 11 January. Developed in partnership with Taiwan-based artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) provider StreamTeck, the High-Privacy AI Digital Caregiver uses millimetre-wave radar technology and thermal imaging to detect patient vitals Ð including body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure Ð and inactivity or patient falls, without the need for any wearables. More... |
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