WHO: No Evidence Linking Dogs to Significant Transmission of SARS-CoV-2; South Korea Imposes Up to 5-Year Prison Term for Exporting Medical Supplies During Pandemic

National Genomics Data Center Releases Version 2.0 of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Information Resource

On February 28, Version 2.0 of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Information Repository, developed and maintained by the National Center for Bioinformation/National Genomics Data Center, was officially launched. Compared with previous versions, Version 2.0 introduces multiple new features, including: providing quality assessment information for each genomic sequence and each variant site in the “Genomic Sequence Release,” “Variant Statistics,” and “Variant Annotation” sections; conducting sequence assembly evaluation of relevant reference genomes based on raw sequencing data to ensure the reliability of viral genomic reference sequences; adding a new “Spatiotemporal Variation of Mutations” section that dynamically displays the frequency trends of variant sites over time and across regions using heatmaps; and enriching online tool modules such as “Variant Identification” and “Variant Annotation” to meet the diverse needs of users.

WHO: No Evidence That Dogs Are Closely Linked to the Spread of the Novel Coronavirus

In response to the weak positive test for the novel coronavirus in a pet dog in Hong Kong, Maria Van Kerkhove, Technical Lead of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, stated that the dog is currently in good condition and shows no relevant symptoms. This remains the only reported case of a dog infected with the novel coronavirus; it is not a major route of transmission, and there is currently no evidence of human-to-dog or dog-to-human transmission. Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, noted that similar situations have occurred with other diseases and do not indicate a close link to the transmission of COVID-19.

South Korea Bans Export of Medical Supplies During Pandemic, with Violators Facing Up to Five Years in Prison

On March 6, South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare announced the immediate implementation of the newly revised Enforcement Decree of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act. Under this decree, during outbreaks of Group A infectious diseases such as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), quarantine authorities will be empowered to ban the export of medical supplies, including sanitary masks. According to Yonhap News Agency, the revised decree grants the government the authority to prohibit the export or overseas shipment of sanitary masks, hand sanitizers, and protective equipment when price surges or shortages of prevention, quarantine, and treatment materials caused by a Group A infectious disease outbreak threaten public health and safety. Violators will be subject to imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million Korean won (approximately RMB 290,000).

Ministry of Ecology and Environment: Since January 20, a total of 123,000 metric tons of medical waste have been disposed of nationwide

On March 6, according to a post on the WeChat official account of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China’s national medical waste disposal capacity reached 5,948.5 tons per day as of March 3, 2020, an increase of 1,045.7 tons per day compared with the pre-epidemic level of 4,902.8 tons per day. Among them, Hubei Province’s capacity increased from 180 tons per day before the epidemic to 663.7 tons per day, and Wuhan City’s capacity rose from 50 tons per day before the epidemic to 261.7 tons per day. Since January 20, a cumulative total of 123,000 tons of medical waste has been disposed of nationwide.

HEC Pharm’s Oseltamivir Receives FDA Approval for Market Launch

On March 4, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Oseltamivir Phosphate Capsules, an anti-influenza medication from HEC Pharm, in three strengths: 30 mg, 45 mg, and 75 mg. Notably, this marks the first approval of a Chinese-made oseltamivir formulation for marketing in the United States. Oseltamivir, a neuraminidase inhibitor originally developed by Gilead Sciences and commercially distributed globally by Roche, is indicated for the treatment and prevention of influenza caused by influenza A and B viruses, including subtypes such as H5N1 and H9N2.

Huahai Pharmaceutical’s HB0017 Project Receives FDA Approval for Clinical Trials

On March 5, Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced that its subsidiary, Huabo Biopharmaceutical Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., had received notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that its investigational new drug application for HB0017 had been approved for clinical trials. HB0017 is a monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-17 (IL-17), intended for the treatment of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.

Zydus Cadila Announces Approval of Dual PPAR Agonist for the Treatment of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis

On March 6, pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila announced that the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved its dual PPARα/γ agonist, saroglitazar magnesium, for the treatment of patients with non-cirrhotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The press release noted that saroglitazar magnesium is the first drug worldwide to be approved for the treatment of non-cirrhotic NASH.

Antengene Announces Initiation of Phase II Clinical Trial of ATG-010 for the Treatment of Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

On March 5, 2020, Antengene announced the official initiation of a clinical trial (protocol number CTONG1702) evaluating ATG-010 in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring KRAS gene mutations. This open-label, multicenter, umbrella Phase II study, led by Principal Investigator Professor Wu Yilong from Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, aims to assess the efficacy of ATG-010 in patients with advanced NSCLC carrying KRAS mutations. ATG-010 (selinexor) is a first-in-class, oral, selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE).

CDE Accepts Joint Application for Teriflunomide Tablets, a Multiple Sclerosis Drug, Submitted by Nanjing Haina Pharmaceutical and Shengshi Taike

On March 5, the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) accepted the marketing application for Teriflunomide Tablets, a Class 4 generic drug jointly submitted by Nanjing Haina Pharmaceutical and Shengshi Taike. This makes them the first companies in China to submit a marketing application for a generic version of teriflunomide. Teriflunomide, the originator drug developed by Sanofi, is a dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitor with immunomodulatory effects that can inhibit experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.

Digital Cell Biology Company Berkeley Lights Launches T-Cell Receptor Sequencing Kit

On March 6, 2020, Berkeley Lights, a leader in the field of cell selection, launched a new T-cell receptor sequencing kit (TCRseq Kit). The TCRseq Kit enables users of Berkeley Lights’ Beacon and Lightning platforms to recover functionally validated T-cell receptors (TCRs) from cell samples containing as few as 10,000 input cells. With the TCRseq Kit, Berkeley Lights platform users can leverage the Berkeley Lights Cell Therapy Development Suite to first profile T-cell functionality and then sequence only the T cells of interest.

BeiGene’s Anti-PD-1 Antibody Drug Tislelizumab Injection Officially Available by Prescription

On March 5, 2020, Professor Ma Jun, Director of the Harbin Institute of Hematology and Oncology, prescribed Baizean® (generic name: tislelizumab injection) for a local patient with relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma. This marks that cancer patients from more than 160 cities across China can now access and use this high-quality global anti-PD-1 antibody medication locally, including in Wuhan, the city most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby effectively ensuring the medication and treatment needs of cancer patients during this special period.

Ferry Hospital to Collaborate with 44 Chinese Hospitals on HIFU Treatment for Uterine Fibroids on International Women's Day

On March 6, 2020, Ferris Hospital announced that at 10:00 a.m. (GMT+8) on March 8, 2020 (International Women’s Day), it would collaborate with 44 High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) centers in mainland China and Taiwan to provide HIFU treatment for patients with uterine fibroids. The treatment initiative will be led by the HIFU gynecologist team from Singapore O&G Limited. Ferris Hospital has admitted more than 100 patients, with varying therapeutic outcomes ranging from reduction of excessive menstrual bleeding, pain relief, and shrinkage of tumors (fibroids), to management of endometriosis, improvement of infertility, and prevention of hysterectomy.