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China’s improving intellectual property protections
China’s pharmaceutical industry continues to grow. It is now the second largest in the world, behind the US. As the pharmaceutical industry develops, it is making large improvements. At the same time, China is working to create a good intellectual property environment, with policies to effectively protect IP. China has formed an intellectual property protection system in which judicial protection and administrative protection are coordinated, and multiple dispute resolution mechanisms are in place to encourage innovation and ensure the viability and continuous development of the innovative drug ecosystem.
Trend Analysis | Why do biotech companies favor SPACs?
SPACs are “blank-check” companies formed by mutual funds and hedge funds. The SPAC has only funds and does not conduct business. The company is listed on the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange and raises funds by issuing a combination of common stocks and options in the form of investment units. The funds are deposited in a third-party trust account.
After listing, SPACs need to find high-quality companies with whom to complete mergers and acquisitions, usually within 24 months. After completing the merger, the company can access the trust funds raised by the SPAC. If a successful merger does not occur within the 24-month timeframe, the SPAC is liquidated and dissolved.
Industry Research | Chinese Aesthetic Medical Device Companies and Products
In recent years, the general public’s acceptance of aesthetic medicine and plastic surgery has gradually increased, leading to rapid development in the industry, especially with regards to micro plastic surgery. In general, aesthetic medicine is divided into surgical plastic surgery and non-surgical plastic surgery (micro plastic surgery). Micro plastic surgery is popular because of its comparatively low risk. Aesthetic medicine is divided into two treatment methods: drugs and devices. In the drug category, only a few products are available, such as botulinum toxin. Thus, devices have become the main treatment method in aesthetic medicine.
An Overview of New Therapies Treating Hair Loss
According to a survey released by China’s National Health Commission, there are as many as 250 million people who suffer from hair loss in China. For many, it has become a cause of “new modern anxiety”.
According to the latest data from iiMedia Consulting in 2019 [1], men are more likely than women to suffer from hair loss, representing about 163 million in China. At the same time, more and more women are also experiencing hair loss, accounting for more than 35% or about 88 million. More worrying is that there is a clear trend of younger people with hair loss. 60% of Chinese show signs of hair loss at the age of 25. The main purchases of online hair loss products were mainly born in the 1980s (38.5%) or in the 1990s (36.1%).
Top-tier Chinese Pharmaceutical company profile: Shijiazhuang Pharmaceutical Group
As a Chinese leading pharmaceutical enterprise, Shijiazhuang Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (CSPC) has a total RMB 41 billion asset and around 25,000 employees up to now. Listed in Hong Kong（01093.HK）with a market value of more than HK$ 100 billion and is one of the Hang Seng Index constituent stocks, CSPC has been the first pharmaceutical share for the past 50 years.
Industry Research | AI Empowers New Drug Discovery to Solve R&D Dilemma
New drug research and development has three characteristics that may raise concerns: high cost (985.3 million [1]), a long R&D cycle (10-12 years), and a low success rate (13.8% [2]). In fact, the return on investment in drug development has steadily declined from 10.1% in 2010 to 1.9% in 2018 [3]. This is especially true for some complex diseases. In the past decades, more than 50 clinical trials have failed to show any positive effects treating Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) [4].
Therefore, reducing R&D costs, increasing success rates, shortening the cycle, and developing differentiated, competitive, and high-tech drugs are issues that major pharmaceutical companies urgently need to solve.
Can CD47 successfully become a star target in the post-PD-(L)1 era?
On September 4, 2020, I-Mab Biopharma announced a collaboration with AbbVie on the global development and commercialization of CD47 monoclonal antibody TJC4. The US$2.9 billion collaboration signifies the largest out-licensing in the history of Chinese biotech companies.
Less than a week later, on September 8, another CD47 company, Trillium Therapeutics, announced the sale of 2,297,794 common shares to Pfizer at a price of $10.88 per share, totaling $25 million. That same day, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange announced that SciClone Pharmaceuticals had submitted the IPO application. SciClone Pharmaceuticals had introduced RRx-001, a small molecule immunotherapy targeting CD47-SIRPα, from EpicentRx in July this year for US$120 million.
Industry Research | Pediatric Drug Market and Cross-border Collaboration Trends in China
The global pediatric drug and vaccine market was valued at approximately US$122 billion in 2019. By 2025 it is expected to reach US$141 billion, with a compound annual growth rate of 2.4%. At present, the pediatric drug market is growing steadily. The United States is still the largest pediatric drug market, followed by China, and India. The countries within the EU also have huge market potential.
Top-tier Chinese Pharmaceutical company profile: Fosun Pharma
Fosun Pharma (stock code: 600196.SH, 02196.HK) is a leading healthcare group in China. Fosun Pharma has developed a global operation strategy in China, with pharmaceutical manufacturing and R&D being at the core of their business, together with maintaining a strong presence in medical devices and diagnostics, healthcare services, pharmaceutical distribution, and retail.
Industry Research | Pediatric Drug Market and Cross-border Collaboration Trends (Pt 2)
The “2016 Children’s Drug Safety Survey Report” shows that the respiratory diseases (39.4%) and gastrointestinal diseases (20.52%) have a higher prevalence in children in China [1]. A 10-year survey of outpatient clinics at the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University showed that [2], the number of outpatient clinics for respiratory diseases increased from 28, 329 in 2009 to 101, 419 in 2018, with an average annual growth rate of 15.2%. Bronchitis was the most common, accounting for a total of 27.6% patient visits, followed by pneumonia (18.5%), asthma (10.7%), and rhinitis (9.2%). World Health Organization data show that pneumonia or other acute respiratory infections are the main cause of death among children worldwide, among which pneumonia accounts for 15% of all deaths among children under the age of 5.