Taiwan’s biotech industry has demonstrated its capability to compete on the global stage. In the first half of this year, there were five notable mergers and acquisitions, with the most prominent being Bora Pharmaceuticals’ $210 million acquisition of the century-old American pharmaceutical company Upsher-Smith (USL) and a $30 million purchase of Emergent BioSolutions’ sterile injectable manufacturing plant in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Additionally, ICARES Medicus acquired the American company Millennium for $25.65 million, and Formosa Laboratories acquired North American CDMO company Synchem, enhancing their ADC (antibody-drug conjugate) production capacity by fivefold, set to be completed in the third quarter to accelerate their expansion in the U.S. market.

Lotus Pharmaceuticals also acquired Teva Pharmaceuticals’ subsidiary in Thailand, with the transaction expected to be finalized in the third quarter.

In terms of significant drug approvals, PharmaEssentia’s new drug Ropeg, for the treatment of polycythemia vera (PV), was approved by China’s National Medical Products Administration, making it the first and only drug approved in China for this indication. Oneness Biotech’s new drug for diabetic foot ulcers, “Fespixon,” received approval for marketing in China and is now gearing up for the second half of the year’s medical insurance negotiations.

In March, Formosa Pharmaceuticals received FDA approval for APP13007, an eye drop used to treat inflammation and pain following ophthalmic surgery. After seven years of effort, Tanvex BioPharma’s biosimilar drug TX01 also received FDA approval, becoming the first filgrastim biosimilar developed in Asia to be approved by the FDA.

Resource (mandarin): 五併購、四藥證 生技業進軍國際寫佳績