Business
BioSpectrum Asia
Korea makes smart patch that can run tests using sweat instead of blood
A research team at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has developed a smart patch that can precisely observe internal changes through sweat when simply attached to the body.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
ADB approves $106.9 M to strengthen secondary healthcare services in Sri Lanka
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $106.9 million financing package to strengthen Sri Lanka's secondary curative care services, improve communicable disease prevention and control, and enhance the healthcare sector's governance and management capacity.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Epigenic Therapeutics raises $60 M to accelerate clinical development of medicines
China-based startup Epigenic Therapeutics, a clinical-stage innovative drug development company, has announced the completion of a $60 million Series B round of financing led by Lapam Capital, with continued participation from existing investors Qiming Venture Partners and OrbiMed, and addition of new investors including IFSC and a renowned investment firm in the industry.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Avasa secures funding to proceed with US FDA clearance
Auckland-based medtech startup Avasa has secured the first close of its Pre-Series-A capital raise.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
WHO publishes report to help countries ensure equitable access to controlled medicines
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published the full edition of its guideline on balanced national controlled medicines policies, marking the first comprehensive global framework designed to ensure access to controlled drugs for medical and scientific uses, while minimising risks to public health that may arise due to misuse and diversion.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Nanyang Biologics partners with NVIDIA, HPE & Equinix to build AI-powered drug discovery platform
Nanyang Biologics (NYB) enters a strategic collaboration with NVIDIA, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and Equinix to build 'VECURA'-an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered drug discovery platform that combines advanced predictive models with a proprietary library of millions of natural compounds.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
New Mpox vaccine study to launch in outbreak-affected DRC
New research due to launch in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will provide important real-world data on the performance of the LC16m8 mpox vaccine in African populations, amid a major outbreak of the deadly virus which remains a continental public health emergency.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Australia to implement new pneumococcal vaccine on National Immunisation Programme
Australian children will now have stronger protection against pneumococcal with the Australian Government implementing a new and improved vaccine on the National Immunisation Programme (NIP).
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
CUREator backs Monash biotech to advance new therapeutics for polycystic kidney disease
xCystence Bio, a Monash University biotech startup, has secured a top-up funding boost from Brandon BioCatalyst's CUREator incubator to drive the development of urgently needed therapeutics for Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD).
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
HKMU licenses tech for non-invasive prostate cancer screening
Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) recently achieved its first-ever technology licensing agreement, a milestone in the University's efforts to translate research into impactful, real-world applications.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
PAHO intensifies call to strengthen vaccination in light of rising measles cases
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging countries in the Americas to strengthen vaccination efforts, improve surveillance, and accelerate outbreak response following a rise in measles cases in the region.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Trump's Counter Productive Tariff Moves
On September 25, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would impose a 100 per cent tariff on all branded and patented pharmaceutical imports starting October 1, unless the companies importing them are actively building manufacturing facilities in the US, defined as “breaking ground” or “under construction.” As of September 26, no official guidance or regulations had been released regarding how this policy would be implemented. The announcement has raised significant concerns from healthcare stakeholders, particularly the American Hospital Association (AHA), which represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, health systems, networks, and 43,000 individual members.
2 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
US FDA grants accelerated approval to first treatment for Barth Syndrome
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval to Forzinity (elamipretide) injection as the first treatment for Barth syndrome, in patients weighing at least 30 kg.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
"Sebia India will introduce pipeline of new products across Autoimmunity, Infectious Diseases"
France headquartered Sebia, a global leader in specialty diagnostics, is continuing its geographic footprint to better serve its customers. Over the decades, the company has earned worldwide recognition for its pioneering expertise in Multiple Myeloma screening, diagnosis, and monitoring, as well as its leadership in hemoglobinopathies diagnosis. In recent years, Sebia has significantly expanded its portfolio in autoimmunity and infectious disease diagnostics through strategic acquisitions – ORGENTEC in 2021 and ZEUS Scientific in 2022. The company is now all set to strengthen its presence in India, thereby expanding its reach, building talent, and raising awareness. Sebia established its presence in India in 2019, and has achieved consistent double-digit growth year after year. To find out more about the company's growth plans in India, BioSpectrum spoke to Heejin Roh, Vice President – Commercial Operations, Asia Pacific, Sebia. Edited excerpts:
4 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
UK offers free chickenpox vaccination for first time to children
Thousands of children will be protected against chickenpox for the first time in England through a new vaccination programme that will keep kids in school and parents in work while also saving the National Health Service (NHS) vital funds.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
WHO urges cost effective solutions on NCDs and mental health
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new report titled \"Saving lives, spending less\", revealing that an additional investment of just $3 per person annually in tackling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) could yield economic benefits of up to $1 trillion by 2030.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
India Introduces Stricter Cosmeceutical Rules to Tackle Counterfeit Products
A huge craze among consumers for cosmeceuticals, by going into marketing and brand appeal, is setting a dangerous precedent. Above all, fake cosmetic products have flooded the Indian market, which are easily available online and across street markets. Keeping this in mind and to stop unscrupulous ads, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has officially published the Cosmetics (Amendment) Rules, 2025, on July 29, which introduce a series of changes to the existing Cosmetics Rules, 2020. Experts weigh in on how this Act can be a gamechanger in the cosmeceutical sector, provided strict norms are followed.
6 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Shimadzu launches Gas Chromatograph FluxEdge GC System
Japan-based Shimadzu has released the FluxEdge GC System, equipped with FluxEdge, its proprietary trace gas sampling/switching technology.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
AIU and Acumen join hands to transform India-Japan higher education collaboration
The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and Acumen, part of the Sannam S4 Group, have announced the formalisation of a pivotal strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) designed to significantly accelerate the internationalisation of Indian higher education sector, to provide new international study options for Indian students and to create meaningful graduate career outcomes in Japan.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
PHC Holdings inks MoU to transfer Eversense CGM distribution to Senseonics
Japan-based PHC Holdings Corporation and its subsidiary Ascensia Diabetes Care, a global diabetes care company, have announced that Ascensia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to transfer the commercial operations for Eversense Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) systems to Eversense maker Senseonics Holdings, Inc.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
CSL partners with VarmX on first-in-class coagulation treatment in $2.2 B deal
Australia's CSL Limited has entered into an agreement with privately held Dutch biotech company, VarmX BV, to develop a new treatment to restore blood coagulation in patients taking a FXa inhibitor.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
University of Sydney partners with Siemens Healthineers for MRI research capability
Australia's University of Sydney has unveiled a $9 million partnership with Siemens Healthineers centred on the opening of the state's most advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Malaysia and Singapore sign MoU to fast-track medical device market access
The Medical Device Authority (MDA) of Malaysia and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) of Singapore have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deepen regulatory cooperation and officially launched a 6-month pilot of the Medical Device Regulatory Reliance Programme as part of the MoU.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Stryker expands R&D footprint in India with new facility in Bengaluru
US-based Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, has announced the expansion of its R&D presence in India with the opening of a new facility in Bengaluru, India.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Abbott receives regulatory approval for first denosumab biosimilar in Thailand
Abbott has received regulatory approval for the first denosumab biosimilar in Thailand, expanding access to advanced therapies for osteoporosis and cancer-related bone loss.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Mabwell and Aditum Bio ink $1 B deal for siRNA cardiovascular therapies
Mabwell (Shanghai) Bioscience and US-based Aditum Bio have announced the launch of Kalexo Bio, a new company formed in conjunction with an exclusive global license agreement to develop 2MW7141, a novel dual-target siRNA candidate for lipid management in patients with dyslipidemia and for the prevention of high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
'AI holds enormous promise to aid clinicians in making informed decisions among many different treatment pathways'
In July 2025, the FDA approved the Oncomine Dx Express Test, a next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform developed by Thermo Fisher Scientific. The firm is now seeking approval in Japan, where cancer is the leading cause of death, with over one million new cases diagnosed annually. Thermo Fisher Scientific has submitted a medical device manufacturing and marketing approval application to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for the Oncomine Dx Express Test Multi-CDx System, which automates the entire diagnostic workflow and delivers results in as little as 24 hours. Designed for rapid, high-precision diagnostics in breast cancer and solid tumours, the system aims to personalise care and accelerate treatment decisions. Jane Li, Senior Director of Pharma CDx and CRO Partnerships, Clinical Sequencing, discusses how the new system advances on the earlier test, trends in pharma-diagnostic collaborations globally and in Asia, key challenges in scaling NGS adoption, and the role of automation and AI in shaping the future of personalised medicine. Edited excerpts:
4 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Navigating Manufacturing, Infrastructure & Regulatory Hurdles in CAR T-CELL THERAPY GROWTH
CAR T-cell therapy is a highly personalised treatment that depends on a unique and complex manufacturing and delivery process to reach patients quickly and reliably. From leukapheresis to final product delivery, the process is continuous and timesensitive, posing significant operational challenges. How is the industry addressing them, and what steps are needed to build a sustainable manufacturing ecosystem? Let's dig deeper.
10 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
How AI Is Accelerating Drug Repurposing & Therapeutic Innovation in India
With India facing increasing disease burdens and deficiencies in healthcare infrastructure, AI is becoming a driving force for quicker, more intelligent therapeutic advancements. Indian startups and institutions are making significant contributions through drug repurposing, enhancing diagnostics, genomics, and clinical research.
4 min |
BioSpectrum Asia Oct 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
How Asia is Pioneering LONGEVITY BIOTECH
Ageing is fast emerging as a focus area in Asia, with 2025 witnessing a flurry of activity across startups, research initiatives, and investment. As the region positions itself in the longevity biotech space, the key question is what drivers and initiatives are shaping its growth and what it will take to build a globally competitive ecosystem. Let's find out.
7 min |