> China's Food and Drug Administration had called for comments on the quality and efficacy of generic drugs as it seeks to raise standards and improve its drug approval process. Report
> Heptares, a unit of Japan's Sosei, inked a drug discovery pact with Pfizer ($PFE) on G-protein coupled receptor targets that includes payments of as much as $189 million per target under R&D, regulatory and commercial milestones. Pfizer will have exclusive global rights of any candidates. In addition, Pfizer agreed to buy $33 million of new Sosei shares at a 25% premium. Release
> Japan's Eisai and U.S.-based Arena Pharmaceuticals ($ARNA) successfully filed a U.S. FDA New Drug Application weight-management drug lorcaserin (Belviq) in a once-daily extended-release formulation. Release
> Hong Kong-listed Uni-Bio Science Group said it obtained exclusive global rights to China FDA approved oral antidiabetic agent mitiglinide from China's Jiangsu Hansoh Pharmaceutical. Financial terms were not disclosed. Release
> Researchers from Japan's Waseda University will work with staff from Singapore Polytechnic's Centre for Biomedical and Life Sciences at a new biomedical lab in Singapore aimed at R&D on cancer and dementia that opened last week. Report
> China and U.S. officials meeting last month in Guangzhou pledged wider cooperation in pharmaceutical and medical device policies with a focus on counterfeit drugs. CFDA Release
> AbbVie ($ABBV) rolled out now reimbursement-listed hepatitis C treatment Viekirax in Japan last week with the once daily 12-week regimen costing around Y4.5 million ($36,600), a Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare spokesman said. The drug will go toe-to-toe with Gilead Sciences ($GILD) Harvoni in the market. MHLW website
> Japan's Solasia Pharma and China's Lee's Pharmaceutical said they have signed a licensing deal to commercialize and promote the anti-nausea medication Sancuso. Release
> Japan's Eisai has paid RMB500 million ($78 million) to buy Chinese generics maker Liaoning TianYi Biological as it seeks wider access to the China market for its existing innovative drugs and pipeline candidates. Release
> Taiwan-based PharmaEngine said it has published results from a phase 3 trial of the cancer drug Napoli in The Lancet. Release
> China-focused HUYA Bioscience International said it has moved to work with the Korea Drug Development Fund with a focus on bringing pre-clinical and early stage biopharma candidates to the market. Release
> A subsidiary of China's Shenzhen Hepalink has invested $13 million in Quest PharmaTech's subsidiary OncoQuest. Release
> DelMar Pharmaceuticals said it has updated the data for an ongoing clinical trial of the company's VAL-083 cancer drug. Release
> India's free healthcare plan may hurt the country's so-called fair price drug stores. Report
> Indian startup Indivac has started offering in-home vaccinations that customers can order via a toll-free number or by using the company's website. Report
> RGAM Investment Advisors has signed a deal with Fortis Healthcare to sell its affiliate Religare Health Trust Trustee Manager for $14.9 million. Report
> Japan's Eisai said it will pay $78.2 million to buy Chinese generics maker Liaoning Tianyi Biological Pharmaceutical. Report
> Health ministers from Japan, South Korea and China, meeting in Kyoto at the weekend, pledged tighter efforts to track and mitigate the spread of infectious diseases like Ebola and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome following Asia-based cases this year that brought airport screening and other measures. Report
> Israel's Oramed said it has signed licensing and investment pacts with Hefei Tianhui Incubator of Technologies valued as high as $50 million for the China-based company to get exclusive mainland, Hong Kong and Macau marketing rights for oral insulin capsule candidate, ORMD-0801. Release