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New medical drugs

New medical drugs
Latest news and updates on medical drug research and breakthroughs.
An advert for Eli Lilly’s obesity awareness campaign is seen on a building in Gurugram, India, on December 16. Photo: Reuters
India

Opinion | Asia’s flood of cheap Ozempic generics opens gates to weight-loss abuse

Cheaper semaglutides as patent ends is good news for diabetics. But lax regulation also means a risk of abuse by those desperate to lose weight.

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Biomedicine: Companies

China biotech deals hit record as innovative drugs draw global interest

China’s private sector

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

China’s private sector

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

Deal involving an antibody asset ‘goes beyond a traditional licensing transaction’, founder and CEO says.

Harbour BioMed’s antibody programme focuses on tumour-killing effects. Photo: Handout
China’s crackdowns

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

Foreign drug makers face pressure in the Chinese market, from tighter regulatory oversight to growing local competition.

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.

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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.

Weight-loss injections, which have been approved by Hong Kong authorities for use, have become increasingly popular around the world. Photo: Karma Lo
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.

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.

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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Swiss drugmaker Novartis has gained global rights over SciNeuro’s novel amyloid beta targeted antibody programme. Photo: Reuters
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.

The total pet population in China reached 430 million in 2024, with nearly one-third of urban cats classified as obese, according to the China Pet Industry Association. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

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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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.

Aya El Helali is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong’s department of clinical oncology. Photo: Jonathan Wong
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.

A chef at Le Petit Village in New York prepares half-sized portions of their brunch menu items, designed to appeal to people taking GLP-1 weight-loss medications, on December 10, 2025. Photo: AFP
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.

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.

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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.

China is gaining a solid reputation as a pharmaceutical innovation hub, according to global consultancy Idea Pharma. Photo: AP
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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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.

Illustration: Henry Wong
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.

Fosun Pharmaceutical says the Marie system could reduce total treatment costs by 50 per cent compared with existing therapies. Photo: Daniel Ren
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.

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.

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.

China’s Hansoh and Leads Biolabs clinch US$2.5 billion in global drug licensing deals
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.

Company flags flutter outside Cheung Kong Centre. CK Life Sciences International is set to merge its subsidiary Polynoma with TransCode Therapeutics to boost its pipeline of anticancer drugs. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

United States

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

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

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