Deals and Financings

• Shanghai Abbisko Therapeutics raised $70 million in a Series C financing to develop its portfolio of small molecule targeted oncology and immuno-oncology candidates.
• Apexigen, a Bay Area clinical-stage biopharma, closed a $65 million second tranche of its C round for oncology immunotherapies.
• Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics completed a $60 million Series B financing to develop more than ten cell therapies for oncology conditions.
• Asieris Pharma, located in Taizhou's China Medical City, closed a C round of unspecified size to advance its genito-urinary tumor treatments.
• Suzhou Innovent Bio acquired China rights to an anti-SIRP-alpha antibody from Alector that is designed to promote the immune response in myeloid and lymphoid cancers.
• Laekna Therapeutics Shanghai acquired global rights to Novartis' anti-PD-L1 antibody, the third in-licensing deal between Laekna and Novartis.
• Tyligand, a Shanghai small molecule biotech, acquired China rights to cancer drug onapristone ER from Context in return for designing a novel manufacturing process for the candidate.

Trials and Approvals

• Suzhou CStone Pharma filed an NDA in Taiwan for avapritinib, a precision therapy for gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
• AnHeart Therapeutics of Hangzhou was approved to start two China Phase II trials of taletrectinib, an oral small molecule ROS1/NTRK inhibitor.

Coronavirus Outbreak

• Shenzhen's BGI Genomics announced the US issued an Emergency Use Authorization for its RT-PCR test kit for SARS-CoV-2.
• Mabpharm of Taizhou out-licensed US and EU rights for an ACE-MAB fusion protein that targets COVID-19 to San Diego's Sorrento Therapeutics.
• Shanghai Fosun Long March Medical, a diagnostics subsidiary of Fosun Pharma, was approved to launch its novel coronavirus nucleic acid detection kit in China.
• Junshi Biosciences of Shanghai will collaborate with the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences to develop neutralizing antibodies as a COVID-19 treatment.
• Chengdu's Clover Bio will partner with Dynavax to conduct pre-clinical tests of Clover's COVID-19 vaccine candidate combined with Dynavax's vaccine adjuvant.