Zenas looks to China to stock pipeline with 3 more immune drugs

Group 1 - The Zenas deal reflects a trend of U.S. pharmaceutical companies seeking innovation from China, where biotechnology startups benefit from lower costs and regulatory flexibility [3] - Concerns are rising among U.S. biotech companies and investors about losing competitive edge due to the growing pipeline of drugs from China, prompting a bipartisan commission to warn about the situation [4] - The pace of licensing Chinese drugs has accelerated, with four deals announced in the previous month, despite calls from top pharmaceutical executives for government support to bolster the U.S. biotech industry [5] Group 2 - Zenas BioPharma is enhancing its pipeline by acquiring three experimental autoimmune medicines from InnoCare Pharma, including a multiple sclerosis treatment currently in Phase 3 testing [6][7] - InnoCare is set to receive up to $100 million in upfront and near-term cash payments, with the total deal potentially exceeding $2 billion, including royalties [7] - Zenas has also secured a private placement of stock worth approximately $120 million to ensure operational cash flow into late 2026 and possibly early 2027 [7]