BeiGene Files for $100 Million IPO in the U.S. as Addyi, the First "Female Viagra," Launches
1. Chinese Company BeiGene Files for U.S. IPO to Raise $100 Million
According to U.S.-based MedCity News, Chinese oncology drug developer BeiGene (BigGen) has filed a $100 million IPO application with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
BeiGene has developed a portfolio of anti-tumor drugs, with four oncology therapeutics in clinical development, including three small-molecule inhibitors: the oral, highly selective and potent BTK inhibitor BGB-3111; the second-generation dual BRAF/EGFR inhibitor BGB-283; and the PARP inhibitor BGB-290. The fourth investigational drug entering clinical trials is the PD-1 monoclonal antibody BGB-108.
Since its establishment in 2010, BeiGene has secured nearly $170 million in financing and hired 110 scientists.
2、FRNDFirst Launch of Online Nurse Consultation Services
FRND is a newly established company based in New York, USA. Last week, its mobile app launched a new feature that allows patients to access outpatient consultation services.
Unlike other companies that offer physician house-call services, the newly founded startup FRND assigns a registered nurse to attend to patients rather than scheduling doctors directly. If a patient’s condition requires a physician, the nurse will initiate a video consultation with a doctor.
FRND’s CEO, Parry, stated, “We do this to reduce patient costs, mirroring the actual clinical workflow in hospitals. Upon visiting a hospital, patients first see a nurse before being assigned to a physician.”
The company has secured angel-round financing.
3Chunyu Doctor Partners with Mayo Clinic Health to Advance Chronic Disease Management
Recently, Chunyu Doctor and VitalHealth, a medical software company under the Mayo Clinic, held a signing ceremony in Beijing to establish a strategic partnership.
VitalHealth was jointly founded in 2006 by the Mayo Clinic in the United States and the Noaber Foundation. VitalHealth primarily provides disruptive cloud-based health solutions, telemedicine rehabilitation models, and services related to the development of information platforms based on cloud computing solutions for patients with chronic diseases (such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease).
It is understood that Chunyu Doctor aims to leverage the advanced chronic disease health management platform established by the Mayo Clinic to help the 400,000 doctors on its platform more comprehensively record and analyze the conditions of chronic disease patients at Chunyu Clinics, thereby providing patients with internationally leading management standards, procedural guidance, and more precise medical services.
4、The World's First "Female Viagra," AddyiOfficially Launched
On October 17, local time in the United States, Addyi, the world’s first prescription drug designed to enhance female sexual desire and previously mired in controversy, was officially launched.
The FDA had previously rejected “Addyi” for market approval twice, citing the drug’s lackluster efficacy and significant side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and fainting. However, after a year of lobbying by supporters sponsored by Sprout Pharmaceuticals, an FDA advisory panel unexpectedly voted 18 to 6 in June this year to recommend Addyi to the FDA.
This pink medication for women operates on a different mechanism than Viagra for men. Addyi works by stimulating the brain to increase the secretion of chemicals associated with sexual desire, rather than directly acting on the genitals to enhance blood flow as Viagra does. It must be taken daily and should not be combined with alcohol or certain other medications.
By John Wang