Investors in mainland China raised their stakes in Hong Kong-listed drug makers through the cross-border trading link over the past week, as a wave of out-licensing deals between the country’s pharmaceutical firms and global partners rolls on. The Hang Seng Southbound Connect Hong Kong Innovative Drug Index, which tracks around 40 of the largest Hong…
Weight-loss injections have fallen under the spotlight in Hong Kong after the Post discovered over-the-counter sellers operating locally, and a recent study found that nearly one in two residents was overweight or obese. The Post’s investigation found the prescription-only medicines were available for purchase on some online platforms and at a pharmacy without the need…
Online retailers and a Hong Kong pharmacy are offering slimming injections without prescriptions despite local authorities requiring a doctor’s approval before purchase, a Post investigation has found, with an expert warning it could lead to misuse. Weight-loss injections, which have been approved by Hong Kong authorities for use, have become increasingly popular around the world…
A partnership between China’s SciNeuro Pharmaceuticals and Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on Monday has revived hopes for treating Alzheimer’s disease. The deal, worth nearly US$1.7 billion, grants Novartis exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialise SciNeuro’s antibody candidates to develop drugs for the progressive brain disease. SciNeuro’s novel amyloid beta targeted antibody programme leverages proprietary…
The deal comes just days after the US company’s shares debuted following its initial public offering (IPO), which raised HK$2.28 billion (US$293 million) after the public portion was oversubscribed 1,427 times. The multi-year partnership with Servier, unveiled on Saturday, would make Insilico eligible for up to US$32 million in upfront and near-term research and development…
“Biotechnology is a high-risk field like a ‘molecular casino’,” said founder Alex Zhavoronkov. “Even with artificial intelligence, you can lose 90 per cent of the time.” The 11-year-old company was training and testing an AI-powered drug-discovery tool, Pharma.AI, to “enable faster, cheaper and more successful drug discovery with higher novelty and confidence”, he said. Zhavoronkov…
Hong Kong’s booming fundraising market is set for another busy week, with four companies scheduled to debut this week and a string of billion-dollar listings – including Chinese luxury electric vehicle maker Avatr Technology – lining up behind them. Among this week’s newcomers, chip materials supplier Guangdong Tianyu Semiconductor plans to raise the highest sum,…
President Donald Trump has announced a landmark deal aiming to expand Medicare coverage to include certain weight-loss medications, a move that could dramatically change access to these treatments for millions of older Americans. On November 6, Trump revealed that his administration had struck agreements with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, the makers of popular weight-loss…
(Reuters) -Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are expected to announce deals with the White House to offer the lowest dose of their weight-loss drugs at $149 per month, in exchange for Medicare coverage, Endpoints News reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. Patients in the U.S. currently pay the most for prescription medicines,…
Biopharma has finally begun catching up with the overall stock market, if the positive returns shown by the top three exchange traded funds (ETFs) since the spring are any indication. Over the past six months, shares of the top three biopharma ETFs have jumped well into double digits. The top biotech-focused ETF with $6.562 billion…