Chinese-Language Podcast: AZ收购亘喜，MNC本土重磅交易，2024展望
China Cell Therapy M&A, 2024 Outlook
Executive Summary
One week into 2024 and there have already been multiple deals between Chinese innovative drug developers and multinational partners, along with the significant acquisition of GracellBio by AstraZeneca. In this Chinese-language podcast, Brian Yang and Dexter Yan invite a guest speaker to discuss the reasons behind the particularly active China biotech deal-making scene.
Welcome to the Year of the Dragon!
Entering 2024, there have already been multiple recent deals between Chinese innovative drug developers and multinationals, including Medilink and Roche Holding AG, Harbour BioMed’s Mona and Seagen Inc. (under Pfizer Inc.) and Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Company Limited with GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Meanwhile, Novartis AG has announced it is to acquire Singapore-based SanReno Therapeutics, founded just in January 2022 and focusing on kidney diseases.
Apart from antibody-drug conjugates, other modalities have also received attention in recent transactions, and Scrip's Brian Yang and Dexter Yan, along with special guest Liu Liu, formerly of JW Therapeutics Co., Ltd, look at some of the emerging trends in this Chinese-language podcast. (Also see "Roche Signs Up Medilink As China Biotech ADC Deal Spree Continues" - Scrip, 4 Jan, 2024.)
The most notable recent China-related biopharma deal of all in recent months is the acquisition of CAR-T-focused Gracell Biotechnologies Co. Ltd. by AstraZeneca PLC, with the UK firm set to pay up to $1.2bn for the Shanghai- and San Diego-based cell therapy developer. (Also see "AstraZeneca's Gracell Acquisition Injects New Excitement For Cell Therapy In China" - Scrip, 2 Jan, 2024.).
The deal marks the first cell therapy M&A deal in China and is particularly significant coming amid a plethora of challenges in the area of personalized therapies such as pricing, manufacturing, lack of reimbursement and potential safety issues.
So what are the main reasons behind the deal, why is this modality being targeted by multinationals and what is the competitive landscape for cell therapy development in China? The podcast delves into all these issues.
Looking forward to the rest of 2024, does the flurry of deals indicate the Dragon year will bring in more licensing deals and M&As activity in the China biotech sector?
年末岁初，国内ADC公司和跨国药企达成多笔授权交易，包括宜联生物与罗氏，和铂医药与辉瑞（Seagen），翰森制药与葛兰素史克等，其中有哪些特点？除了ADC药物外，其他候选药物的跨国授权交易也出现了许多。还有哪些值得关注的地方？
阿斯利康收购亘喜生物GracellBio，这是跨国药企对于中国细胞治疗研发药企的首个收购，这个收购是基于哪些考虑？
国内细胞治疗的前景，面临一系列挑战，比如：定价昂贵，目前还看不到医保覆盖的希望，个性化治疗需要的时间和潜在的安全性等等，为什么细胞治疗仍然是大药企看重的一步棋？
国内的细胞治疗的市场竞争格局，MNC诺华，合资的复星凯特和巨诺，信达生物和驯鹿医疗，在产品的差异化方面有哪些值得关注的地方？
最新的一个收购，诺华收购信瑞诺医药，是否预示2024年可能是MNC对于中国药企的收购之年？