BeiGene, Ascentage Pharma and I-Mab will be among the first Chinese pharma firms to report clinical trial results for their innovative drug candidates at this year’s ASCO meeting.

Japan has granted reimbursement prices to two anticancer antibodies and other products as it supports the availability of new, higher priced therapies in areas of high medical need, including through early access, while Takeda’s Entyvio is also set for launch.

Takeda’s global blockbuster GI drug Entyvio has been approved in Japan, although its local sales prospects appear limited, while two novel cancer drugs from AstraZeneca and a world-first indication have also been cleared by the health ministry.

Basel-based BioMedPartners has launched a new CHF75m venture capital fund, BioMedInvest III, boosting financing opportunities for startups and mid-sized biotechs in the sparse European market.