While most of the R&D attention in the hot space of claudins has focused on targeting CLDN18.2, the Swiss biotech believes its CLDN1 programs have the advantage of a broader expression profile.

The recent partnerships on Claudin 18.2-targeting agents between Chinese biotechs and big pharma have brought China innovation to a new phase that Chinese firms can be proud of, an executive from Keymed Biosciences, one of the Chinese biotechs involved in such deals, tells Scrip in an interview.

Already a major player in the field thanks to Enhertu, AstraZeneca is doubling down in gastric cancer with the new antibody-drug conjugate deal with China’s KYM Biosciences.

The firms’ partnership goes back to pre-merger Celgene, and BMS still has Dragonfly candidates in its pipeline. Ji Xing gets hypertension candidate from Phase Bio.