Scrip takes a look at South Korea’s out-licensing deal trends for 2021, finding that more big transactions are likely as the year moves towards its close despite a wider global slowing in activity, helped by rising innovative R&D.
After reaching a record high value of out-licensing deals in 2020, South Korean pharma and biotech firms are seeing another year of robust partnering, with transactions poised to rise further toward year-end.
In October alone, South Korean companies inked several mid-sized, cross-border out-licensing agreements, including Curacle’s $163.5m tie-up with Thea Open Innovation...
While Korean biopharma companies’ out-licensing deals have remained lackluster in the past couple of years, activity around emerging modalities, led by ADCs, have been increasing in line with global trends.
As investor sentiment around Korean biopharma IPOs and financings remained tepid in the second quarter, companies turned to other ways of raising money, including rights offerings. But there are signs of recovery and upcoming catalysts, while on the M&A front Boryung divested a vaccine subsidiary to a private equity consortium.
As it reported mixed second-quarter earnings, South Korea's pharma industry is increasingly turning to obesity pipeline assets. Meanwhile, leadership disputes among family members within Hanmi are resurfacing.
A novel stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease developed by a Korean firm has shown what Citeline analysts describe as "very promising" early clinical results at a low dose after one year.
A court order encompassing funding, drug pricing, clinical trials and overall policy implementation aspects is expected to bring about a paradigm shift in the treatment of rare diseases in India. Sarepta, Roche and Sanofi are among the key players that have been part of pricing discussions.
The nod will help unlock a national market for the partners’ Dupert (fulzerasib) in which roughly 50,000 people are expected to be newly diagnosed with lung cancer harboring the KRAS G12C mutation in 2025. Meanwhile, two other homegrown rivals are also closing in on marketing clearances in China.
Amgen’s Imdelltra for small-cell lung cancer is one of two bispecific T-cell engagers approved for solid tumors, but data at the WCLC meeting show other DLL3-targeting BiTEs may be on the way.
