The ranks of B7-H3-targeting antibody-drug conjugates under development in China have seen their first dropout, although elsewhere there are two FGFR2b-directed ADCs with first-in-class potential on the horizon. Meanwhile, there have been other discontinuations of KRAS G12C inhibitors and anti-BCMA CAR-T cell therapies in the country, while new players have surfaced in the areas of mRNA cancer vaccines and amyloid-beta-targeting antibodies for Alzheimer’s disease.

The sizzling race for China’s first approved KRAS inhibitor has seen Amgen/BeiGene’s Lumakras drop out and Mirati/Zai Lab’s Krazati lag in a confirmatory Phase III trial, while domestic fast-followers are in the meantime eyeing their first approval filings by the end of this year.

The German firm’s oncology franchise grew to more than €400m in the third quarter as sales of Bavencio doubled, while anticancer partnerships and pipeline updates drew interest.

Deal Snapshot: The Nobel Prize winner co-founded biotech can extend its cash runway into 2025, while Roche gains access to an immunotherapy with potential to treat a wide range of cancers.