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New medical drugs

New medical drugs
Latest news and updates on medical drug research and breakthroughs.
Gilead Sciences is one of many drug firms facing a revenue gap owing to expiring patents. Photo: Reuters
China’s private sector

Rights to antibody drug from China’s Keymed change hands in US acquisition

Sichuan-based Keymed expects to receive up to US$320 million as a result of deal involving its autoimmune disease treatment licensed in 2024.

China’s private sector

Wave of Chinese biotech deals builds with US$1.2 billion Harbour BioMed pact

China’s crackdowns

China charges former AstraZeneca executive – a sign of the times?

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Repurposed kidney drug may offer hope to infertile women, Hong Kong study finds

Researchers say finerenone may provide affordable treatment with few side effects for women affected by premature ovarian insufficiency.

Premature ovarian insufficiency, or POI, affects about 1 to 3 per cent of women of childbearing age. Photo: Sun Yeung
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Exclusive | No prescription, no problem: Hong Kong’s grey zone for weight-loss injections

Slimming injections cannot be sold or purchased in Hong Kong without doctor’s prescription, but some retailers are operating grey market.

Wellness

Weight rebound after stopping Ozempic, Wegovy? Not necessarily, new data says

New research suggests that many people who stop using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic maintain their weight loss, countering previous studies.

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China’s private sector

China’s drug and medical device sector fuels growth with record licensing deals

China’s pharmaceutical industry surges on ageing demand and global expansion, with revenue forecast to top US$2.1 trillion by 2030.

Innovative drugs are expected to outpace other segments with an annualised growth of 20 per cent between 2026 and 2030, according to UBS. Photo: Shutterstock
Made in China 2025

Novartis, SciNeuro deal offers hope for 55 million suffering from Alzheimer’s

SciNeuro’s anti-amyloid programme is one of the firm’s key strategic research and development priorities to target the brain disease.

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Made in China 2025

Meow or never: China’s pudgy pets spark race for weight-loss drugs

Fosun and Huadong biotech labs eye feline obesity drugs as owners weigh cuteness against health risks.

Artificial intelligence

MindRank in Phase 3 trial with first AI-assisted new drug

The company was aiming for approval in the second half of 2028, paving the way for a market launch in 2029.

Despite AI’s advancements, humans remain an indispensable part of the drug discovery process. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Science

China’s biopharma sector ‘in prime position to challenge US leadership’

American commission issues stark warning, as analytics firm Clarivate reports that Chinese innovative drug development has entered new phase.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Genomic sequencing puts Hong Kong at forefront of cancer care innovation

Scientist Aya El Helali says research speeds up cancer treatment discovery and helps the city bridge mainland China with global drug development.

Wellness

As weight-loss drugs reduce appetites, US restaurants cut portion sizes

Some New York restaurants are offering smaller portions at lower prices to appeal to those on hunger-reducing GLP-1 weight-loss medications.

Medicine

No need for needles? US approves Wegovy pill for weight loss

Novo Nordisk’s daily medication offers an oral alternative to blockbuster injections, with a launch expected in early January.

A weight loss pill could help open the door to tens of millions of untapped patients in a global market. Photo: Shutterstock
United States

Are Chinese biotechs what the doctor ordered as Big Pharma faces ‘patent cliff’?

US drug makers are racing to plug looming ‘patent cliff’ revenue gaps – and increasingly they are turning to China biotechs.

US drugmakers are increasingly looking to Chinese biotechs as an answer to the revenue gaps left by the looming ‘patent cliff’. Illustration by Henry Wong
Made in China 2025

China’s pharmaceutical industry transforms into a global innovation powerhouse

The China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Invention Index, a new gauge, highlights top drug makers on the mainland for the first time.

Science

Sperm quality decline: could easy-to-use balm from China solve the crisis?

In China, unhealthy lifestyles, pollution and work-related stress are cited in public health discussions around declining sperm quality.

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China economy

Opinion | How China engineered the rapid rise of its drug innovation industry

A market once dominated by generics is now an AI-powered pharmaceutical hub drawing billion-dollar investments from the likes of Pfizer and GSK.

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A worker checks the position of a feeding tray in a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility at the Hengrui Biomedical Industrial Park in Lianyungang in Jiangsu province, on December 13, 2021. Photo: Getty Images
Hansoh Pharmaceutical

6 of the best: the billion-dollar biotechs putting China on the map

China’s biotech renaissance is gathering pace as home-grown innovators strike billion-dollar licensing deals with global giants.

China’s private sector

Fosun brings UK particle therapy to mainland China in advanced cancer care push

The US Food and Drug Administration-approved Marie system promises human-centred care, advanced technology and lower costs.

Biomedicine: Companies

China biotech forum bills antibody cancer drugs as next-generation treatment

Biotech insiders tout antibody-drug conjugates as the next big thing in cancer treatment, with firms urged to pursue global strategies.

Antibody drug conjugates are targeted medicines that deliver chemotherapy agents to cancer cells. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong stock market

China’s Akeso gets share boost as data shows cancer drug’s benefits

Lung-cancer drug ivonescimab is ‘potentially two to three years ahead of competitors’, analyst says.

Trial showed “a decisive and strong positive outcome with both significant and clinically meaningful benefits”, Akeso said. Photo: Shutterstock
Biomedicine: Companies

Hansoh and Leads Biolabs clinch US$2.5 billion in global drug licensing deals

Two mainland biotech firms win global attention as Roche and Dianthus sign major licensing pacts, highlighting China’s growing role in next-generation drug development.

Mergers & Acquisitions

CK Life unit merges with TransCode as Li Ka-shing firm eyes anticancer drugs

Upon completion of the transaction, CK Life will own about 9.1 per cent of TransCode’s outstanding common shares.

Health & Fitness

Li Ka-shing-backed focused ultrasound therapy treats 1 millionth case

The therapy, which uses ultrasound energy to treat a number of diseases including cancer, is gaining global traction, a US expert says.

Minnesota-based HistoSonics makes focused ultrasound machines for treating liver tumours. Photo: Handout
United States

China’s pharmaceutical sector surges amid growth in sales, licensing income

Strong growth momentum and global push expected to continue, HSBC says.

Chinese pharmaceutical companies’ licensing deals made up about 50 per cent of the total value of such transactions worldwide in the first eight months of the year. Photo: Shutterstock
Biomedicine: Industry Trends

China’s drug developers stretch to become a global force

Although a start-up’s recent triumph is seen as a ‘DeepSeek moment’, domestic players still trail world-beating pharma firms, experts say.

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IPO

Chinese healthcare, biotech firms flock to Hong Kong for IPOs

September yields at least 23 listing applications from mainland biotech firms eyeing the city’s lucrative fundraising market.

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