A special congressional committee has recommended a $15 billion investment to boost the United States' biotech advantage over China. The NIH has blocked access to some health and genomics databases for China and other countries. GSK signed a deal worth up to $2.5 billion for ABL Bio's neuroscience technology. And more.
1. Congressional commission urges $15B, more action to maintain US biotech advantage over China
The U.S. Congress’ National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology recommends that the government dedicate $15 billion to the biotechnology sector over the next five years while warning that the U.S. is “dangerously close to falling behind China” in this field. The report contains various measures that Congress could enact to “leverage our capital markets to advance national biotechnology priorities.”
2. NIH blocks researchers in China, Russia and other countries from multiple databases
The National Institutes of Health has abruptly blocked access from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela to multiple data repositories. The controlled-access data repositories include a National Cancer Institute Program that was widely used by Chinese cancer researchers. The ban appears to stem from an executive order under the Biden administration, though its scope has changed under the Trump administration.
3. GSK pens $2.5B pact for ABL Bio's tech to help antibodies bypass blood-brain barrier
GSK has signed on South Korea’s ABL Bio to develop drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier for neurodegenerative diseases. The deal includes 38.5 million pounds ($49.5 million) in an upfront payment and could eventually be worth 2.07 billion pounds ($2.5 billion). The collaboration will utilize ABL’s Grabody-B platform, which targets the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor for central nervous system drug delivery.
4. Sun Pharma snags appeals win over Incyte, clearing way for US launch of alopecia med Leqselvi
Sun Pharma can proceed with its launch of the alopecia therapy Leqselvi after a U.S. appeals court lifted a preliminary injunction sought by the company’s JAK inhibitor rival Incyte. Litigation remains ongoing between the two firms, but Sun is no longer under any court order delaying or restricting Leqelvi’s rollout in the U.S.
5. F-star charts new path, splitting from invoX after 2023's $161M acquisition
Two years after a drawn-out acquisition by China’s Sino Biopharm, U.K. biotech F-star Therapeutics has set out on its own, again. The antibody-focused biotech has become a private, independent company operated by the existing management team, and it will continue to work on its bispecific platform, the company said.
6. China approves its first gene therapy (Fierce Pharma regulatory tracker)
China has approved the country’s first gene therapy, a hemophilia B treatment developed by local biotech Belief BioMed. The product, called dalnacogene ponparvovec (BBM-H901), will be commercialized by Takeda in China. The therapy uses an adeno-associated virus vector to deliver a functional copy of the factor IX gene.
Other news of note:
7. Backing from BioNTech powers ADC specialist DualityBio toward $200M Hong Kong IPO
8. Treasury Secretary Bessent won’t rule out delisting Chinese stocks (Axios)
9. RemeGen lays out gMG drug’s China data with plans for global phase 3 (release)
10. Korea approves GC Biopharma’s Barythrax as first recombinant anthrax vaccine (release)
11. KalVista, awaiting FDA call on HAE drug, sells Japanese rights to Kaken in $22M deal