Olympus Corp.

The China-to-US experimental medicine pipeline is ballooning: yet another US-based biotech formed around a candidate from China’s Keymed Biosciences on Monday. Life sciences investment firm RTW has set up a company called Prolium to take forward a CD20×CD3 bispecific known as CM355 outside Asia, the companies said in a press release and Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing . Prolium will get rights to develop the antibody in both oncology and non-oncology indications in exchange for $17.5 million upfront and up to $502.5 million in biobucks. Keymed will split its earnings with partner Beijing InnoCare. The companies will also get a minority equity stake in the new company, according to the HKEX filing. China-derived drug candidates have featured prominently in the pipelines of recently launched biotechs: four of the 10 megarounds so far this year have gone to biotechs developing such assets. Chengdu-based Keymed is one of the many biopharmas driving the trend, having out-licensed candidates to two new companies earlier this month. Timberlyne Therapeutics emerged with $180 million and Ouro Medicines debuted with $120 million. And last year, Belenos Biosciences broke cover with two Keymed assets and a former Biohaven executive at the helm. RTW, meanwhile, has recently taken part in similar newco formations. It helped form Kailera Therapeutics , which launched last year with $400 million and a Phase 3-ready obesity drug candidate from China-headquartered Hengrui.

Olympus to sell and distribute its medical technologies directly in Chile and extend its medical technology business in South America SANTIAGO, Chile and MIAMI, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Olympus Latin America (OLA), a subsidiary of global medtech company Olympus Corporation, today announced it has closed the agreement to acquire from Sur Medical SpA (Surmedical) the entity that has distributed Olympus products to Chile since 2013. Continue Reading One of two new Olympus properties established following the completion of an agreement in which Olympus acquired from Sur Medical SpA the entity responsible for distributing Olympus products in Chile since 2013. The new Olympus business will operate under a new Latin American subsidiary, Olympus Corporation Chile. Through this acquisition, OLA will establish a direct presence in the Chilean medical technology market under the administration of a new OLA subsidiary, Olympus Corporation Chile. Direct access to Chile's growing healthcare market will enable a more efficient distribution of Olympus products and services to meet the needs of healthcare providers and their patients. For more than a decade, Surmedical, a Chile-based leading medical equipment distributor, has been Olympus' partner in the Chilean medical technology market, establishing Olympus as a leader in the critical gastrointestinal sector. Surmedical has further secured a market-leading position for Olympus endotherapy products and created a reliable repair service for medical devices. By acquiring the Olympus portion of Surmedical, Olympus is assuming responsibility for distribution and business strategy for its full product portfolio in Chile with the goal of streamlining operations and enhancing customer service and support. Olympus aims to accelerate the introduction of its cutting-edge medical technologies and strengthen its position as a trusted partner in Chile's healthcare system. "This strategic acquisition of Surmedical's well established and successful distribution business for Olympus technologies gives Olympus a very strong foundation for operations in Chile," said Jose Gaston, President of Olympus Latin America. "We are very excited to welcome to Olympus Corporation Chile the talented and knowledgeable sales, marketing, service and training teams who have developed such a successful market for Olympus medical technologies in Chile. Our goal is to do even more for healthcare providers and their patients by creating direct access to the full Olympus portfolio and latest innovations." Patricio Fuenzalida, founder and owner of Surmedical, said, "We welcome Olympus to Chile. I will continue to work closely with Olympus and their new Chilean team to ensure a smooth transition and integration of operations. Our shared goal is to support business continuity for customers and the patients they serve." About Olympus At Olympus, we are committed to Our Purpose of making people's lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling. As a global medical technology company, we partner with healthcare professionals to provide innovative solutions and services for early detection, diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment, aiming to improve patient outcomes by elevating the standard of care in targeted disease states. For more than 100 years, Olympus has pursued a goal of contributing to society by producing products designed with the purpose of delivering optimal outcomes for its customers around the world. For more information, visit olympusamericas.com and our Olympus Medical Americas LinkedIn account: linkedin.com/olympus-medical-americas. SOURCE Olympus Latin America WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

Two biotechs emerged on Friday with assets from Keymed Biosciences, extending a proliferating trend of Western investors propping up new companies to further develop assets discovered or initially created in China. Timberlyne Therapeutics broke cover with $180 million to take forward a CD38-targeted monoclonal antibody. Meanwhile, GSK-backed Ouro Medicines debuted with $120 million. Timberlyne is dishing out $30 million in near-term payments and up to $337.5 million in biobucks to Keymed, which gets a 25% stake in the new company. Ouro’s pact includes $16 million to start and up to $610 million in milestones for a T cell engager. Keymed disclosed both in HKEX filings . OrbiMed also formed a biotech, Belenos Biosciences , around a Keymed asset last year. Additional details were thin on San Diego-based Timberlyne, which is being backed by key investors Abingworth, Bain Capital Life Sciences and Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners. The company did not announce any leadership in its press release. Bain has done a few biotech deals revolving around China-based assets in recent years, including asthma biotech Aiolos and obesity drug developer Kailera . As has Venrock, most recently with Candid Therapeutics . Timberlyne’s other investors include Boyu Capital, Lilly Asia Ventures, Braidwell LP and 3H Health Investment. Timberlyne will get ex-China rights to CM313, a monoclonal antibody that could be tested for numerous diseases. The experimental medicine has “transformative potential in autoimmune diseases,” Keymed said in its Hong Kong stock exchange filing. Keymed has tested CM313 in clinical trials in patients with immune thrombocytopenia, systemic lupus erythematosus, and relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. It will provide clinical supply of the drug to Timberlyne. A relatively unknown biopharma creation firm, named Mountainfield Venture Partners, helped form Timberlyne. The venture firm’s leaders include managing partners David Socks and Daniel Curran. Socks was previously a venture partner at Frazier Life Sciences, where he co-founded companies like HilleVax and Passage Bio. Curran was previously head of rare disease therapies at Takeda. Mountainfield appears to have formed last year, and Timberlyne seems to be its first disclosed portfolio company. Curran has been managing partner at the firm since March 2024, according to an SEC filing. Abingworth, Venrock and GV are investors in Mountainfield, according to its website.