Business
BioSpectrum Asia
Emergency vaccine response cuts infectious disease deaths by nearly 60%
Researchers at Burnet Institute, in collaboration with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, have provided the world’s first ever look at the historical impact of emergency vaccination efforts on public health and global health security, with a comprehensive study of 210 outbreaks of five infectious diseases- cholera, ebola, measles, meningitis and yellow fever, in 49 lower-income countries between 2000 and 2023.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
JCR Pharma licenses gene therapy platform to AstraZeneca Rare Disease unit for $825 M
Japan's JCR Pharmaceuticals has entered into a license agreement with Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, for JCR’s new, proprietary JUST-AAV capsids to develop genomic medicines.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
China approves world's first dual GCG/GLP-1 receptor agonist for weight loss
Innovent Biologics, Inc. has announced that China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved mazdutide, a first-in-class dual glucagon (GCG)/glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, for chronic weight management in Chinese adults with overweight or obesity.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
ASEAN has become an imtportant fulcrum in the global pharmaceutical production supply chain
Asia-based BioDlink, a full-service Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) specialising in biologics and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), has built a strong track record over the past decade, offering integrated solutions from early-stage R&D to commercial manufacturing.
4 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Radiopharmaceutical Blockade: Manufacturing and Access Challenges in Australia
Australia is well positioned to become a global player in radiopharmaceuticals, especially theranostics that combine diagnosis and targeted therapy.
3 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
AN Venture Partners announces one of the largest Japan focused biotech funds to date
AN Venture Partners (ANV), a global biotech venture capital firm, has announced the final close of its first fund, AN Venture Partners I, LP, achieving its target of $200 million (JPY29 billion), one of the largest Japan-focused biotech venture capital funds to date, and also one of the largest first-time biotech venture capital funds raised in the past year.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Country wise analysis of startups with funds raising
Asia-Pacific is home to 9,905 active life sciences startups, as of July 20, 2025, according to Tracxn.
2 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Resurging Funding Catapults APAC BIOTECH STARTUPS
Asia-Pacific's biotech startup scene is on the cusp of a renaissance. After a tough 2024 marked by shrinking venture capital, 2025 is showing revived investor enthusiasm and a rebound in funding- especially for oncology, gene therapy, and Al-driven drug discovery. With 9,905 life sciences startups now active across the region, APAC Countries are leveraging scientific innovation, government support, and new incubators to move beyond service roles and develop world-class therapeutic assets. Let's take a closer look at Asia's startup ecosystem, evolution of investor sentiment over the past few years, and buoying biotech areas.
10 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
HanchorBio signs $200 M deal with Shanghai Henlius Biotech to expand immuno-oncology reach
HanchorBio Inc., a Taiwan-based biotechnology startup developing innovative immunotherapies for oncology and autoimmune diseases, has announced the signing of a major out-licensing agreement with Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Merck unveils AAW workstation to advance lab automation
Merck, a leading science and technology company, has launched the Automated Assay Workstation (AAW), a solution powered by Opentrons, a leader in lab automation and accessible robotics.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
The Tariff Turmoil UpsideMore International Partnerships
If there's anything good to come from the tariff turmoil, it is that countries have rediscovered the importance of collaboration, international partnerships and market diversification to drive innovation. It's a point I heard repeatedly at the BIO Asia-Taiwan conference in Taipei last month (July 23 - 27, 2025). In the upended global trade order, where foe is friend and everyone else gets tariffed, it's hardly surprising we're looking to a broader suite of markets to provide some resilience and certainty to our life science innovation endeavours.
3 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Illimis Therapeutics raises $42 M to accelerate CNS and immune disease drug development
South Korea-based startup Illimis Therapeutics has announced the closing of 58 billion KRW ($42 million) Series B financing to accelerate CNS and immune disease drug development via GAIA platform.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Indian firm Biological E partners with China's Recbio to produce HPV9 vaccine
Jiangsu Recbio Technology, a leading Chinese biopharmaceutical company, has entered into a licensing cooperation agreement, and have commenced the technology transfer of their Recombinant 9-valent HPV (HPV9) vaccine, REC603, to Biological E. Limited BE, a leading Indian vaccine and pharmaceutical company.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
China's Innovative Approach to Universal Health Coverage
China has successfully implemented various medical insurance reforms and development tasks under five principles including promoting equity and accessibility, the rule of law, technological empowerment, coordinated development and safeguarding the security of the fund during the first four years of the 14th Five-Year Plan (the 2021-2025 period).
2 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Researchers in India design simple sensor for liver cancer detection
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru have developed a unique luminescent probe that uses terbium, a rare earth metal, to sense the presence of an enzyme called ẞ-glucuronidase, which can potentially aid in the detection of liver cancer.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Epsilon Healthcare appoints Daniel Kaplon as CFO
Australia-based Epsilon Healthcare has announced the appointment of Daniel Kaplon to the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
WuXi Biologics launches next-generation platform for high-concentration biologics
WuXi Biologics, a leading global Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organisation (CRDMO) in China, has announced the launch of WuXiHigh 2.0, a high-throughput formulation development platform designed for high concentration biologics.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
APAC building on enough supply network for radiopharmaceuticals
The radiopharmaceutical industry is gaining ground across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, as countries not only step up development of novel therapies but also move to secure critical supply chains. From new partnerships to domestic isotope production, let's explore how APAC is building a foothold in this specialised sector.
4 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Singapore-Korea partnership to apply Al in hair follicle regeneration research
Singapore-based startup NYB.AI and Pnaseer Inc., a startup based in South Korea, have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the discovery of compounds that promote hair follicle regeneration using artificial intelligence (AI).
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia August 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Sartorius expands manufacturing and R&D capacities for innovative bioprocess solutions in France
The life science group Sartorius recently celebrated the completion of a multi-year capacity expansion project at the headquarters of its French sub-group Sartorius Stedim Biotech in Aubagne.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia July 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
PCI Growth in Malaysia: Innovations Transforming Cardiovascular Care
The number of PCI procedures with stents has risen dramatically in Malaysia in recent years and is set to see further significant growth, driven by rising CVD prevalence, demographic shifts, and technological advancements. Since the introduction of DES, there has not been a successful major technological advance in stent technology for over two decades. However, results from the INFINITY-SWEDEHEART Trial, published in The Lancet in November 2024 indicate that a novel technology is set to challenge the dominance of DES in the PCI market.
4 min |
BioSpectrum Asia July 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
IonOpticks Generation 4 Aurora Series sets new benchmark in chromatography
Australia-based IonOpticks, developer of chromatography columns for mass spectrometry research, has announced the launch of its 4th Generation of Aurora Series columns.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia July 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
ThinkCyte unveils cloud-based platform for AI-driven cell morphology data analysis
ThinkCyte, a Japan-based life science company pioneering advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-powered cell analysis and sorting technologies, has announced the precommercial launch of MorphoScan Cloud, its new cloud-based platform designed for flexible data access, faster processing, and advanced AI– driven analysis.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia July 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Japan's strategic medtech alignment with India
Given Japan's ageing population and the increasing number of patients with chronic and lifestyle diseases, Japan's market for medical devices continues to be among the world's largest.
6 min |
BioSpectrum Asia July 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Quadria Group takes control of HealthQuad for launching Fund III with corpus of $300 M
Quadria Group, Asia's leading healthcare-focused private equity platform, has announced the launch of HealthQuad Fund III, with a proposed raise of up to $300 million (target corpus of $200 million with a $100 million greenshoe option).
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia July 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
ClavystBio and A*STAR partner to grow medtech ventures in Singapore
ClavystBio, a life sciences investor and venture builder established by Temasek, and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create and grow medtech ventures in Singapore.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia July 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Japan transforms engineered heart tissues for precise drug testing
A research team at Kyoto University in Japan has developed a novel engineered heart tissue (EHT) platform using low-absorption polystyrene (PS) that overcomes the limitations of current devices, enabling rigorous in vitro evaluation of drug responses and streamlining preclinical testing by minimising the need for conventional animal experiments.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia July 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Olympus announces full market release of AI-powered emphysema screening programme
Japan headquartered medtech firm Olympus Corp. has announced the full market release of its artificial intelligence (AI)-driven emphysema screening programme, SeleCT Screening.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia July 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Hong Kong leads global drug development using new dual immunotherapy
A research team from the School of Clinical Medicine of the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has pioneered the use of a 'dual immunotherapy' combinationnivolumab and ipilimumab (NIVO+IPI), in the treatment of liver cancer patients.
1 min |
BioSpectrum Asia July 2025
BioSpectrum Asia
Joint action plans to tackle viral hepatitis in Africa
Considering the general decline in funding for research and development, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), in collaboration with the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) and the African Viral Hepatitis Action Group (AVHAG), has developed a capacity-building programme for hepatitis elimination and advocacy.
1 min |