WuXi Biologics announces its latest expansion, with plans for a drug development and commercial manufacturing site with a potential bioreactor capacity of 144,000L.
This month’s round-up of the most popular stories of the month, featuring a bold prediction of future growth for Chinese biotech and bad news for a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
The WHO establishes a multi-disciplinary committee to advise on the ethical and scientific challenges of human genome editing, as the technology’s capability and utilization grows in the industry.
ICT is developing upon CAR-T cell technology to enable T-cells to persist against cancer’s attempt to program death into a patient’s defensive T-cells, which could potentially treat solid tumors.
The contract market for bringing biologics through the pipeline to commercialisation is growing at a rapid clip, with a recent report suggesting a high CAGR in the sector.
Eli Lilly and Innovent announced that their jointly developed anti-PD-1 drug gained approval in China, becoming the second domestically produced treatment of this type.
Chinese investors are looking abroad for technology that will provide short-term returns and long-term health benefits to its large patient population, according to Panacea Ventures partner.
The second phase of Changzhou Qianhong Bio-pharma manufacturing project sees a further ¥1 billion devoted to increasing tablet and injection production.
Construction has started at WuXi Biologics’ eighth drug substance manufacturing facility, which CEO Chris Chen says will enable the CDMO to “develop and manufacture biologics more cost effectively”.
CBMG announced a manufacturing collaboration agreement with Novartis at the end of last month to produce CAR-T treatment Kymriah for the Chinese market and the company has further ambitions in the pipeline.
China’s authorities’ condemnation of Changsheng Biotechnology, after it was found to have falsified data regarding a rabies virus, has caused public concern over the domestic vaccine market.
Sanofi has teamed with JHL Biotech to develop biosimilar products, including a version of Rituxan (rituximab), for the Chinese and international markets.
Sinovac’s vaccine sales recovered in Q3 after it restarted activities halted while it brought operations into line with new Chinese distribution regulations.
Charles River Labs (CRL) has singled out China as an area of “disproportionate growth” in biologics R&D and says it is on the hunt for preclinical acquisitions in the region.
With the Chinese NAP (nucleic acid purification) market expected to grow more than 8% over the next year and no clear market leaders, companies are looking to take control of the industry space.
Boehringer Ingelheim will build a biomanufacturing facility in Shanghai in a strategic alliance designed to cater for Pharmas nervous about setting up plants in China.
The Chinese government is supporting a $100m (€73m) project to build a contract biologics production facility in Beijing, which, by some measures, would be the largest in Asia.
