Medical News
On January 22, Belief BioMed (BBM) announced that the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for BBM-D101 injection, a gene therapy drug for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
On January 21, Jinyao Pharmaceutical announced that its subsidiary, Jinyao Heping's Formoterol Fumarate Inhalation Solution, had received a drug registration certificate from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). The drug is indicated for the maintenance treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is primarily used for chronic bronchitis and emphysema.On January 21, Johnson & Johnson announced that the FDA had approved the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Spravato (esketamine) CIII nasal spray, making it the first and only monotherapy for treating adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who have not responded adequately to at least two oral antidepressants. This means that Spravato is the first monotherapy approved in the U.S. for treating adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD).On January 20, the NMPA website showed that the new indication application for GENRIX BIO's Selicrelumab Injection has been approved for use in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (ankylosing spondylitis). Selicrelumab is a recombinant fully human anti-IL-17A monoclonal antibody independently developed by GENRIX BIO.Investment and Financing Pharmaceutical Affairs
On January 22, LEPU BIOPHARMA announced the global rights (excluding Greater China) of its innovative ADC drug MRG007 were licensed to ArriVent Biopharma. According to the licensing agreement, ArriVent will pay $47 million as an upfront payment and near-term milestones, up to $1.16 billion in development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments, along with high single-digit to low double-digit percentage royalties on sales. MRG007 is a potential best-in-class ADC for gastrointestinal tumors, with the first IND application expected to be filed in the first half of 2025. The key indications under development include colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and other gastrointestinal malignancies.On January 22, Degron Therapeutics announced that the company had successfully completed an A+ round of financing exceeding 20 million US dollars by the end of 2024. This round of financing was invested by well-known institutions such as Zhejiang Province's "4+1" Biopharmaceuticals and High-end Medical Devices Industry Fund, Takeda Ventures, Fengchuan Capital, Longmen Capital, Haoyue China Healthcare Fund, and AIM-HI Accelerator Fund, with existing shareholder Yuan BioVentures continuing to support.Technology-Driven Drug ResearchOn January 20, the research team from Wenzhou Medical University published a research paper in the journal Cell Death & Disease titled "Targeting estrogen-regulated system xc− promotes ferroptosis and endocrine sensitivity of ER+ breast cancer." The study data indicate that targeting estrogen-regulated SLC7A11 and SLC3A2 can enhance ferroptosis in ER+ breast cancer, offering a new therapeutic option for ER+ breast cancer patients, especially those with endocrine resistance.[1]Cao, J., Zhou, T., Wu, T. et al. Targeting estrogen-regulated system xc− promotes ferroptosis and endocrine sensitivity of ER+ breast cancer. Cell Death Dis 16, 30 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-025-07354-0
