Top-line results for two newly approved COVID-19 antivirals in China showed roughly 1.5- to two-day cuts in median time to symptom resolution or recovery in mild-to-moderate Omicron patients versus placebo.

Shoreline picks up technology platform rights and access from Editas, which recently reduced staff. Hyloris out-licenses commercial rights to Maxigesic in nine EU markets to Salus.

The 2022 pricing negotiations for innovative drugs organized by China’s National Healthcare Security Administration have slashed prices of included products by 60% on average, a level mostly unchanged from the 2021 round, although 36% more novel medicines were covered.

Around the turn of the year, four Chinese biotechs including Kelun Biotech and BioRay ramped up funding with deals worth more than $100m, at a time when overall investment sentiment in the sector remains gloomy.

Evopoint and Kaken also ring in the new year with multiple deals. Biocytogen licenses antibodies against a specified target derived from its RenMice platform technology to Hansoh Pharma.

As of October 2022, China's GloriaBio had reached less than 25% of the annual sales volume expected for its anti-PD-1 antibody zimberelimab and was set to miss its full-year target, forcing a CNY423m ($62m) impairment provision and illustrating how immuno-oncology fortunes can fluctuate in the country.