The hard going could get even tougher as a funding crunch continues for China’s biotech sector, which is being hit by a paradox that could see more pain ahead, leading investors to take the pulse of the sector as the Year of the Rabbit starts.

In this week's podcast version of Five Must-Know Things: Merck & Co. tells Scrip oncology will remain a key priority; J&J is responsibly cautious on growth; Takeda pays big for HutchMed drug; industry looks at likely US IRA impact; and lecanemab misses out on EU fast-track treatment.

The latest drug development news and highlights from the Pink Sheet’s US FDA Performance Tracker

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.