Bristol Myers Squibb and Eisai's ADC deal termination, Takeda's planned layoffs in Massachusetts and the U.S. House Speaker's pledge for a vote on the BIOSECURE Act made our news in the past two weeks.
After a break for the Fourth of July holiday in the U.S., we're back with two weeks' worth of biopharma news from Asia. During that time, Bristol Myers Squibb returned Eisai's FRα-targeted antibody-drug conjugate. In addition, Takeda telegraphed plans to lay off 220 employees in Massachusetts, while U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson pledged a full floor vote on the BIOSECURE Act this year.
1. BMS axes Eisai ADC pact 3 years after paying $650M for would-be Elahere rival
Bristol Myers Squibb has ended its bet on Eisai’s FRα-targeted antibody-drug conjugate, farletuzumab ecteribulin (MORAb-202), which is a potential competitor to AbbVie’s newly bought Elahere. The deal included $460 million upfront, $200 million in R&D support and up to $2.5 billion in milestones, giving BMS joint rights in the U.S. and Europe plus exclusive rights in other countries. Eisai now aims to “accelerate the development of the agent as a high priority.”
2. Takeda to cut another 220 jobs in Massachusetts, as Merck KGaA plots office move
Takeda continues to reduce staffing levels in the U.S. amid a restructuring campaign. In Massachusetts, the Japanese pharma said it will cut 190 employees at its Cambridge headquarters and 31 people at its Lexington site, beginning in August. A previous round of 641 cuts was set to begin in early July.
3. House Speaker Mike Johnson pledges vote for BIOSECURE as China-targeting bill hangs in limbo
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson pledged to advance several China-targeting bills in the remaining term of this Congress. Among them, the House will vote this year on the BIOSECURE Act, Johnson said at an event held by conservative think tank the Hudson Institute.
4. BIOSECURE Act hurts US biopharma industry's confidence in Chinese partners: survey
Meanwhile, a L.E.K. survey found that U.S.-based life sciences companies experienced a sharp decline in confidence in working with Chinese partners. Already, 26% of 73 firms surveyed by the consulting firm said they’re looking to shift away from their Chinese partners, even tough only 2% have started the unwinding process.
5. China's share of trials jumps, along with enrollment times: IQVIA report
Amid geopolitical turmoil, China’s share of the world’s clinical trials has surpassed Eastern Europe, an IQVIA report shows. The country’s proportion of world trials grew to 15% at the end of 2023, while Eastern Europe’s share declined to 11%. North American trials now make up 23% of the total, a 17% increase from five years ago, while Western Europe’s share fell to 25% of the global total.
6. J&J, Legend's Carvykti shows CAR-T can extend lives in multiple myeloma
Johnson & Johnson and Legend Biotech said their Carvykti has shown a statistically significant overall survival benefit in the CARTITUDE-4 trial. Compared with two standard combination therapies, the BCMA CAR-T drug was better at extending the lives of multiple myeloma patients who had tried one to three prior lines of therapy. The latest win puts Carvykti further ahead of Bristol Myers Squibb’s rival, Abecma.
7. Ipsen scores 2nd preclinical ADC via $1B biobucks pact with Foreseen
Ipsen has got its hand on a second antibody-drug conjugate this year. In a deal totaling $1.03 billion, the French pharma has obtained exclusive global rights to a preclinical solid tumor candidate by China’s Foreseen Biotechnology. The drug, coded FS001, targets an undisclosed tumor-associated antigen and uses a Topo1 inhibitor as its payload. The target was identified with Foreseen’s AI-powered screening platform.
8. High-flying Samsung Biologics inks $1B production pact with unnamed US pharma
Samsung Biologics said it has signed a new manufacturing contract with a large, unnamed U.S. drugmaker worth 1.46 trillion Korean won (about $1.05 billion). The deal represents more than 39% of Samsung Biologics’ total sales from last year and is expected to run through the end of 2030.
Other News of Note:
9. Elevar, Hengrui eye quick refile for PD-1 liver cancer combo after surprise FDA rejection
10. China-made injectable PD-L1 drug flunks pivotal trial, forcing US partner to seek strategic options
11. Without Pfizer appeal, Daiichi Sankyo closes long-running ADC patent arbitration with $47M win
12. Ensho emerges with inflammatory disease portfolio from Eisai's EA Pharm
13. CDMO Lotte breaks ground on $3.3B production plant in Korea, touts growth goals
14. Rexulti reclaims TV drug ad spending top spot as Otsuka, Lundbeck eat away at AbbVie’s dominance