Oversee returnee-founded Chinese biotech start-ups Nuwacell and Arnatar secure $14m in series A and seed rounds respectively, while four other major deals backed by private equity and venture capital firms raise a combined $116m.

The US- and China-based biotech is expanding three oncology-centered clinical studies of two TGF-1/COX-2-targeted siRNA drug candidates from the US into China.

Large or small, Chinese biotechs are receiving the cold shoulder from some investors amid souring investment sentiment. HanBio, Frontier and InnoCare have all seen their fundraising efforts hampered to various degrees.

Promising new clinical results presented at ESMO are likely to help several Chinese firms gain traction to take their new drug candidates into global markets, including the US.

Four latecomers including Akeso and Henlius managed to record a combined $101m in immuno-oncology drug sales in China in the first half, while market leaders such as BeiGene and Innovent saw mixed results as competition between domestically-developed rivals continues to heat up.

Inspired by the discovery of the phytochemical corynoline being a potential MYC synthetic lethality agent, Anticancer Bioscience has designed and identified preclinical candidates that could lead to first-in-class innovative drugs.