Sinopharm to issue $1.61B in bonds; Chugai unveils 'promising' ACE910 data;

> Sinopharm Group plans to issue RMB10 billion ($1.61 billion) worth of bonds with maturities up to 10 years to reduce borrowing cost and to improve its debt structure. Release (PDF)

> Japan's Chugai Pharma unveiled "promising" data on bispecific antibody ACE910, which was initially developed by Chugai and was opted into by Roche ($RHHBY), at a conference of International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis in Toronto on Monday. Release

> San Diego-based Ambrx named Tiecheng (Alex) Qiao as CEO and announced that Feng Tian, formerly vice president of science and technology, China, has been promoted to the newly-created position of chief science officer. Release

> Australia-listed Benitec Biopharma announced a new exploratory cellular therapy program including exosome-based delivery using proprietary ddRNAi technology as part of a collaboration with U.K.-based stem cell therapeutics company, ReNeuron. Release

> India's Natco Pharma says it is waiting on U.S. FDA to get nod for generic Copaxone launch after U.S. Court of Appeals finds Teva's ($TEVA) 808 Copaxone patent invalid. Release (PDF)

> India's Aurigene plans to develop, sell anti-infective drugs on its own. Report

> The state-run Indian Institute of Chemical Technology plans to work with domestic drugmakers to develop local substitutes for life-saving drugs paracetamol, ibuprofen, ciprofloxacin. Report

> Novasep has signed two partnership agreements for the Japanese markets, one with Allied Laboratories, a life science and chemical consulting company, and one with AR Brown to represent Novasep's CMO services in Japan. Release

> India's Aurobindo Pharma receives U.S. FDA approval on azithromycin jab. Release (PDF)

> Drug firm Dr. Reddy's Laboratories said it has completed the acquisition of select portfolio of established brands of Belgian firm UCB in India. Report

> Johnson & Johnson ($JNJ) Innovation and WuXi AppTec ($WX) will develop a China life science incubator as part of the U.S. firm's 17 new collaborations with research institutions and healthcare companies announced last week. Release

> Shanghai Fosun Pharma aims to get 40% of its revenues outside of-China sources by 2020, more than triple last year's figure of 12% by spurring management through a stake in the firm. Report

> Pfizer ($PFE) started construction of a $95 million consumer health products manufacturing plant in Suzhou and also plans an R&D facility on the site home to an existing plant. Release

> Taipei-listed ScinoPharm Taiwan said it will manufacture celecoxib, a non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory analgesic active pharmaceutical ingredient at its China FDA GMP certified plant and work with China's Raffles PharmaTech on R&D in order for both firms to exploit greater business opportunities in the U.S. market. Release

> India's Intas Pharmaceuticals said the U.S. FDA has accepted its peg filgrastim biosimilar for filing under the 351(k) abbreviated approval pathway created by the Biosimilar Price Competition and Innovation Act. Release

> Japan's Eisai said its U.S. unit won FDA approval for an indication expansion of Fycompa (perampanel hydrate) as an adjunctive treatment of primary generalized tonic-clonic (PGTC) seizures in patients with epilepsy 12 years of age and older. Release

> Medical device maker Owen Mumford opened a new Asia-Pacific hub in Nusajaya in southern Malaysia that will enhance its packaging services and provide additional warehousing within the region. Release

> India's Jubilant Life Sciences gets U.S. FDA ANDA approval for levofloxacin tablets. Release