AstraZeneca has tapped Korea's Alteogen to develop subcutaneous cancer drugs. Taiho Pharmaceutical is paying $400 million to acquire antibody-drug conjugate expert Araris Biotech. WuXi AppTec expects sales to grow 10% to 15% in 2025 as the fate of the BIOSECURE Act remains uncertain. And more.

1. AstraZeneca signs Alteogen deal worth up to $1.35B for subcutaneous cancer drugs despite Merck-Halozyme patent drama

AstraZeneca has enlisted Alteogen and its hyaluronidase technology, ALT-B4, to advance subcutaneous formulations of “several oncology assets.” In its filings to the Korea Exchange, Alteogen disclosed two separate agreements together potentially worth up to $1.35 billion. The deal comes as Halozyme is engaged in a patent dispute with Merck & Co. on its subcutaneous formulation of Keytruda, which also uses ALT-B4.

2. Otsuka's Taiho pays $400M for Swiss partner to 'turbocharge' 3 ADCs to clinic

Taiho Pharmaceutical is paying $400 million upfront and committing up to $740 million in milestones to acquire Swiss antibody-drug conjugate specialist Araris Biotech. In 2023, the Otsuka unit inked a licensing deal to use Araris’ AralinQ platform to develop ADCs. Araris has three preclinical programs expected to enter the clinic over the course of 2025 and 2026.

3. WuXi AppTec offers rosy 2025 guidance despite threat of US-China trade tensions

WuXi AppTec expects to grow sales by 10% to 15% in 2025. The rosy projection comes as the fate of the BIOSECURE Act remains uncertain. The company’s revenue slipped about 3% to 39.24 billion Chinese yuan ($5.4 billion) last year. Nevertheless, U.S. sales, which made up the bulk of the CRDMO’s business, still grew nearly 8% despite the draft bill’s threats of forced industry decoupling.

4. Curevo rounds up $110M to challenge GSK’s Shringrix, nabs Moncef Slaoui to lead board

Curevo Vaccines, founded and invested in by Korea’s GC Biopharma, has raised $110 million in series B led by new investor Medicxi. OrbiMed, Sanofi Ventures and HBM Healthcare Investments also joined as new backers of the U.S. biotech. The money will be used on a phase 2 extension program for amezosvatein, a potential competitor to GSK’s blockbuster shingles vaccine Shingrix.

5. Elevation drops sole clinical-stage ADC over poor phase 1 data, lays off 70% of staff

Elevation Oncology has decided to ditch its sole clinical asset, a Claudin18.2 antibody-drug conjugate coded EO-3021, which it licensed from China’s CSPC Pharma for $27 million upfront in 2022. Elevation unveiled lackluster tumor response data from a small group of stomach patients last year but pressed on by focusing on a subgroup. Updated data only showed a 22% response rate among those biomarker-enriched patients.

6. AstraZeneca offers early look at Datroway-Tagrisso combo in EGFR lung cancer as phase 3 trial rolls on

AstraZeneca found that a combination of its Daiichi Sankyo-partnered Datroway and Tagrisso induced a 36% response rate in a small group of patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had progressed on first-line Tagrisso, according to results from the phase 2 Orchard trial. The two companies in October launched a phase 3 trial to test Datroway either alone or together with Tagrisso in post-Tagrisso NSCLC.

Other News of Note:

7. Dr. Reddy’s, Sun Pharma and Zydus issue US recalls, citing failed specs and labeling issues

8. Chiesi bails on TiumBio’s respiratory drug deal (Korea Biomedical Review)

9. Klick buys Ward6 Singapore’s operations to fuel Asian expansion

10. Japan’s RegCell moves to US with $45.8M to advance Treg platform (release)