The Asia Corner - From the Editors of PharmAsia News May 26, 2009
In this BioPharma Today feature, the editors of PharmAsia News take a closer look each week at the most important biopharma developments from China, India, Japan, and the Pacific Rim.
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The Asia Corner - From the Editors of PharmAsia News May 26, 2009
ATLANTA – Were you at BIO this year? Did you get to meet Elton John, Tom Daschle, Karl Rove – or even better – PharmAsia News? While the gala at the Georgia Aquarium may not have painted a picture of lean times, the economic crisis was on everyone’s mind. PharmAsia News’ reporters are spread across Asia so you can keep up to date on the latest pharma and biotech developments in China, India, Japan and Southeast Asia.
One of the more interesting deals in 2008 was Takeda’s $100 million upfront payment for a non-exclusive platform alliance for U.S biotech Alnylam’s RNAi technology in Asia. During BIO, Alnylam Business Development VP Jason Rhodes and Takeda San Diego General Counsel David Weitz discussed the intricacies of the negotiations and unique aspects of dealmaking with Japanese pharma (PharmAsia News, May 19, 2009).
If we’re talking about deals, we can’t miss Daiichi Sankyo-Ranbaxy. Less than a year after the acquisition by Daiichi Sankyo, Ranbaxy CEO Malvinder Singh and two other directors are leaving the company, in what the Japanese company calls an “amicable” agreement. Ranbaxy President Atul Sobti will take over for Singh (PharmAsia News, May 25, 2009).
PharmAsia News welcomes its newest bureau chief Peter Chang, based in Seoul. South Korea’s FDA is gearing up for a launch of initial biosimilars guidelines. Chang talks to industry insiders about the consultations between KFDA and local pharma officials to tweak the pending regulations(PharmAsia News, May 21, 2009).
Taiwan’s legislative body passed legislation which lays the groundwork for a food and drug agency modeled after U.S. FDA. The new agency will integrate official from four different government bureaus, and will be tasked with strengthening food and drug safety and improve customs efficiency (PharmAsia News, May 25, 2009).
- Daniel Poppy
The PharmAsia News team welcomes your feedback on stories we have covered as well as story ideas you would like to see. Email the editors at pharmasia@elsevier.com
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