China
The partnership will focus on Crescent’s PD-1/VEGF inhibitor CR-001 and Kelun-Biotech’s SKB105, both of which the companies plan to push into Phase I/II development for solid tumors early next year.
With new UK clinical trial rules landing in 2026, the EU Biotech Act on the horizon and China and Australia gaining ground, CROs are zeroing in on study timelines, AI/ML and data privacy as the industry’s next pressure points.
The CRO market in the APAC region is thriving, particularly in China, due to intense clinical trial and innovation development, with Western investors and pharma leaning in.
A spokesperson for the FDA said the agency is “considering a wide range of options to support American innovation.”
The back-heavy deal includes a $5 million upfront payment for two novel T cell engagers, though the companies have yet to disclose priority indications.
In 2025, landmark obesity drug deals, China’s biotech surge, and AI’s deeper integration into pharma operations drove a year of transformation and renewed momentum for life sciences.
At the center of the licensing deal is an NLRP3 inhibitor that has shown “encouraging efficacy in acute inflammation models,” according to TransThera, indicating its potential in various metabolic and inflammatory diseases.
In this episode presented by Element Materials Technology, BioSpace’s head of insights discusses how China, historically focused on manufacturing, is increasingly becoming an innovation leader, particularly in pharmaceuticals, with guests Dr. Jihye Jang-Lee and Dr. Khanh Courtney. Ultimately, balanced strategies involve domestic capacity investments coupled with global collaboration.
Nearly one-third of biotech and pharma professionals are thinking about leaving the U.S. to find biopharma jobs, according to a BioSpace LinkedIn poll. Career coaches discuss why people are considering relocating and what they should do before heading for the exit.
In this deep dive, BioSpace investigates China’s rise as a biotech powerhouse.
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