Novotech Acquires US-based Drug Development Consulting Firm, CBR International

SINGAPORE, Jan 12, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – Novotech, the leading Asia Pacific centered biotech CRO today announced the acquisition of CBR International, a global product development, clinical oversight and strategic regulatory operations group.

CBR was founded in 2002 as a consultancy company focused on assisting biotechnology and pharma companies navigate FDA requirements from early-stage development through to approval. CBR adds a group of experts to Novotech to provide US and global regulatory, scientific, quality, and clinical development services. CBR's specific regulatory expertise and services include long-range Regulatory Strategy and Writing, FDA Representation, eSubmissions, and Scientific Affairs to support requirements for cGMP commercial product development.

The acquisition will further strengthen Novotech's capabilities in regulatory strategy and US FDA interactions and submissions including IND, IDE, NDA, BLA, Fast-Track, Break-through, and Orphan Drug Applications.

Novotech CEO Dr. John Moller said: "CBR will provide decades of FDA regulatory experience for our biotech clients. They have experience across all product types and are highly regarded for their IND expertise having managed approximately 80 INDs through all phases of development. This acquisition, together with Novotech's existing regulatory affairs capability, creates a large global group of experts in toxicology, drug development, and global regulatory submissions support. This regulatory expertise benefits our US, European, and Asia Pacific biotech clients as they progress through the US clinical environment and navigate often complex FDA requirements."

CEO and Founder of CBR, Dr. Jeanne Novak said: "We are extremely pleased to be joining a company the size and calibre of Novotech which brings global demand for our regulatory expertise. The US is an important region for global biotech and pharma companies as part of their clinical program development. We have the experience and track-record of directly supporting US approvals for over 10 programs. Navigating novel product development and achieving multiple approvals has built our expertise to support the complex development needs of clients worldwide which will now support Novotech clients. We look forward to working with Novotech clients to support their drug development programs in the US and globally. We are excited to continue working with our clients and bringing Novotech expanded services to our colleagues."

Novotech has decades of biotech drug development experience, exceptional site and investigator relationships, access to vast patient populations, and a project management approach focused on problem-solving, ownership and flexibility. Consistent investment in advanced training and technology combines to deliver a specialist full-service biotech CRO solution.

Novotech has recently been recognised with significant CRO awards including the Asia-Pacific Biotech CRO of the Year by Frost & Sullivan, benchmarked as a top 10 CRO among the world's leading CROs, a finalist in the prestigious Scrip awards, and has just been awarded the Gene & Cell Therapy Excellence Award. In Asia Pacific Novotech has more than 50 Leading Site Partnership agreements with major medical research institutions which delivers exclusive benefits for sponsors.

About Novotech

Novotech is the leading Asia-Pacific centered biotech CRO. Novotech has integrated labs and phase I facilities and provides drug development consulting and clinical development services across all phases. Novotech is well-positioned to serve biotech clients conducting clinical trials in Asia-Pacific the US, and Europe. For more information visit https://novotech-cro.com/contact

Media Contact
David James
E: communications@novotech-cro.com
AU: +61 2 8218 2144
USA: +1 415 951 3228
Asia: +65 3159 3427

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

HighTide Therapeutics Announces First Patient Dosed in Phase 2b Clinical Study Evaluating HTD1801 in NASH (the CENTRICITY study)

ROCKVILLE, MD and SHENZHEN, CHINA, Jan 11, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – HighTide Therapeutics Inc. ("HighTide"), a globally integrated clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel multifunctional therapies for metabolic and digestive diseases, today announced the dosing of the first patient in a Phase 2b clinical study evaluating HTD1801 for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis ("NASH").

This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicentre Phase 2b study will evaluate the effect of HTD1801, 1250 mg twice daily (BID), compared to placebo BID on histologic improvement in adult subjects with NASH and liver fibrosis who also have type 2 diabetes mellitus ("T2DM") or pre-diabetes. The study will enroll approximately 210 subjects with biopsy-confirmed NASH and evidence of stage 2 or stage 3 liver fibrosis. Subjects will receive HTD1801 for up to 60 weeks.

"Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease ("NAFLD") is the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide with a global prevalence of 25.2% to 29.8%. Of those with NAFLD, about 20% have NASH. Patients with NASH and T2DM or prediabetes are at increased risk of progressive liver disease and cardiometabolic complications," said Dr. Liping Liu, founder and Chief Executive Officer of HighTide. "This first patient dosing marks a key milestone for the development of HTD1801 for the treatment of patients with NASH, building on data from our Phase 2a study which showed HTD1801 was associated with meaningful improvements in liver fat, markers of liver Injury and fibrosis as well as cardiometabolic factors (HbA1c, lipids, and weight) after 18 weeks."

About NASH

NASH, a severe form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is a chronic, complex liver disease characterized by hepatitis – inflammation of the liver – and liver cell damage, which can lead to fibrosis of the liver. NASH can also lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. NASH patients with T2DM or impaired glucose tolerance are more likely to progress to more severe disease and to develop complications that lead to increased mortality. Prevalence of NASH is on the rise and may soon surpass hepatitis C as a cause for liver transplant in the U.S. and Europe. Currently, there are no approved therapies for NASH.

About HighTide Therapeutics

HighTide is a globally integrated clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery and development of novel multifunctional therapies for metabolic and digestive diseases with significant unmet medical needs. The company's lead drug candidate, HTD1801, is a first-in-class new molecular entity, currently in clinical development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), severe hypertriglyceridemia (SHTG), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). HTD1801 has received Fast Track designation from the U.S. FDA for both NASH and PSC, as well as Orphan Drug designation for PSC. In China, HTD1801 has been included in the National Major New Drug Innovation Program. For more information, please visit www.hightidetx.com.

Contacts
Nadia Gao
ir@hightidetx.com


Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Avance Clinical Celebrates GlobalReady Success as more than 40 Biotech Clients Enter Program

San Francisco, Jan 11, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – More than 40 biotech clients are now taking advantage of Avance Clinical's GlobalReady program which delivers streamlined clinical development from early phase in Australia expanding to sites in North America for later phases. All with the one CRO and dedicated teams across both regions.

Avance Clinical made the announcement at Biotech Showcase 2023 where the team is taking meetings via PartnershipOne. "Given this successful early adoption of GlobalReady we are expecting more than half of our biotech clients to join the program within the next six months, said Avance Clinical CEO Yvonne Lungershausen.

GlobalReady biotech clients are primarily biotechs from the US and Asia, with an increasing number expected from Europe over the next few months.

Avance Clinical is the leading Australian-based biotech CRO with US operations, which has been recognized by Frost & Sullivan for the past 3 years with the prestigious CRO Leadership Award.

CEO Yvonne Lungershausen said: "These biotech clients are already benefiting from our expansion into North America and GlobalReady. The GlobalReady model is designed to extend biotechs' investments so they can achieve greater clinical development milestones with reduced spend, all with the assurance of FDA-accepted data. GlobalReady gives our biotech clients conducting their early phase studies in Australia and New Zealand a seamless journey into the US to continue their clinical development programs, retaining the same high-quality CRO, which reduces time and cost and delivers quality FDA-accepted data. In addition, the attractive 43.5% rebate on clinical spend in Australia, offers our clients the opportunity to utilize our North American operations expertise and team, whilst maintaining services in Australia to maximize their rebate potential. We often point to the fact that there are currently more than 280 Phase III global trials that have conducted their Phase I study in Australia, which again demonstrates Australian data acceptability with the FDA and other major regulatory authorities."

This seamless GlobalReady journey is designed for success whereby biotechs can:
– Take advantage of the Australian early-phase clinical trial landscape (No IND and 43.5% tax rebate)
– Transition or expand into North America for later phases – without changing CROs (retain study knowledge and processes/team)
– Seamlessly operationalize global dose-escalation and dose-expansion trials across the two regions
– Harness significant speed and cost advantages
– Be assured of quality data – transferable and readily acceptable by the FDA and other regulatory authorities

"We have shown, with our high growth and industry-leading repeat business rates that our focus on gold standard technology paired with solution-orientated clinical experts is the mix our biotech clients need for clinical success," commented Yvonne Lungershausen.

According to Frost & Sullivan as part of the independent analyst review of the company for the CRO Award: "Avance Clinical remains a trusted partner, earning a reputation for delivering the overall best in the CRO industry. With its strong overall performance, Avance Clinical earns Frost & Sullivan's 2022 Asia-Pacific Customer Value Leadership Award in the contract research organization industry."

Find out more:
– Learn about the Australian Advantage here https://www.avancecro.com/the-australian-advantage/
– Learn about the GlobalReady model here https://www.avancecro.com/avance-clinical-north-america-operations/
– For more information about the benefits of running your next study with Avance Clinical contact us: enquiries@avancecro.com

About Avance Clinical

Avance Clinical is the largest premium full-service Australian and US CRO delivering quality clinical trials, with globally accepted data, in Australia, New Zealand and the US for international biotechs. The company's clients are biotechs in their early phases of drug development that need fast, agile, and adaptive solution-oriented clinical research services. https://www.avancecro.com/

Frost & Sullivan Awards
Avance Clinical, a Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific CRO Market Leadership Award recipient for the past three years, has been providing CRO services in the region for more than 24 years.

Pre-clinical through to Phase 1 and 2
Avance Clinical offers pre-clinical services with their experienced ClinicReady team right through to Phase 1 and 2 clinical services leveraging significant Government incentive rebates of up to 43.5% and rapid start-up regulatory processes. With experience across more than 110 indications, the CRO can deliver world-class results and high-quality internationally accepted data for FDA and EMA review.

Technology
Avance Clinical uses state-of-the-art technology and gold-standard systems across all functional areas to provide clients with the most effective processes. Medidata, Oracle, IBM Watson and Medrio are just some of the technology partners.

Media Contact:
Avance Clinical
Kate Thompson
media@avancecro.com

Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

HighTide Therapeutics Raises $107 Million in Series C/C+ Financing to Advance Innovative Pipeline and Business Collaborations

ROCKVILLE, MD and SHENZHEN, CHINA, Jan 5, 2023 – (ACN Newswire) – HighTide Therapeutics Inc. ("HighTide"), a globally integrated clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel multifunctional therapies for metabolic and digestive diseases, today announced the closing of a $107 million Series C/C+ financing led by the TCM Healthcare Fund of Guangdong, managed by China Development Bank Capital. Other investors included Yuexiu Fund and Yuthai Fund.

Proceeds of the financing will be used to advance multiple global development programs, including mid-to-late-stage clinical trials, and the commercialization and business development of the company's robust pipeline. HighTide's lead candidate HTD1801, is a novel multifunctional molecule, being developed for the treatment of patients suffering from complex metabolic and digestive diseases.

HighTide has successfully completed multiple clinical trials of HTD1801 and continues to advance its global development programs as follows:

— A Phase 2 clinical study in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is near completion;
— A Phase 2b clinical study in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has been initiated; and
— A successful End-of-Phase 2 (EOP2) meeting was held with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on the positive findings from the Phase 2 clinical study in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).

"After completing a successful $60 million Series B+ round at the end of 2020, we are thrilled to have well-recognized investors participate in our C/C+ round. We are grateful that our investors have such strong confidence in HighTide's team, the commercial value of our pipeline, and future development prospects," said Liping Liu, Ph.D., founder and Chief Executive Officer of HighTide. "The Series C/C+ financing is a significant milestone for HighTide. It will enable us to move aggressively to accelerate the clinical and commercial development of our innovative pipeline and external business collaborations."

About HighTide Therapeutics
HighTide is a globally integrated clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery and development of novel multifunctional therapies for metabolic and digestive diseases with significant unmet medical needs. The company's lead drug candidate, HTD1801, is a first-in-class new molecular entity, currently in clinical development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), severe hypertriglyceridemia (SHTG), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track designation to HTD1801 for both NASH and PSC, as well as Orphan Drug designation for PSC. In China, HTD1801 has been included in the National Major New Drug Innovation Program. For more information, please visit www.hightidetx.com.

Contacts:

Investors
Nadia Gao
ir@hightidetx.com
+86-134-8219-0265

Media
Karl Schmieder
karl@messaginglab.com
+1-646-515-3392


Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Novotech is Gold Sponsor at Biotech Showcase 2023

SYDNEY, AU, Dec 20, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Novotech, the Asia Pacific centered biotech specialist CRO is proud to be Gold Sponsor at Biotech Showcase 2023. Novotech CEO Dr. John Moller and experts from the Novotech US and Asia Pacific teams will be attending the conference.

Meetings can be scheduled via the PartneringOne portal. https://informaconnect.com/biotech-showcase/partnering/

Novotech will share the Asia Pacific advantages for expedited clinical trials, where biotechs have access to Novotech's vast patient populations, strong local regulatory knowledge, extensive site and KOL networks, and reputation for data quality.

Novotech has more than 50 Leading Site Partnership agreements with major medical research institutions in Asia Pacific delivering exclusive benefits for sponsors.

The latest industry research publication by GlobalData and Novotech found almost 50% of new trials globally have sites in Asia Pacific. According to the new publication titled "State of the Global Biotech Landscape: Where the Opportunities Lie", demand for Asia Pacific trial sites is strong with almost half of the more than 27,000 clinical trials initiated in 2021 having sites in Asia Pacific. The data shows almost 12,900 of the new trials had sites in Asia Pacific.

Download the report here https://novotech-cro.com/whitepapers/state-global-biotech-landscape-where-opportunities-lie

The report also noted that the Asia Pacific region, which has more than 6,772 trial sites each with access to an average of 2,136 million people, has considerable underutilized capacity presenting an opportunity for growth in multinational trials in the region.

Novotech this month was awarded the Frost & Sullivan Company of the Year Award 2022 for Best Practices in the Asia-Pacific contract research organization industry. Novotech has been a recipient of the Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Best Practices awards since 2006.

Frost & Sullivan said: "Our approach involves the deployment of best practices and strategic analytics across a value chain. Against this backdrop, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Novotech for its valuable achievement. Novotech addresses the global drug development market's unmet needs with a strong leadership focus that incorporates client-centric strategies with best-practice implementation. From feasibility assessments to regulatory submission support, data management, medical monitoring, and project management, the company provides a 360-degree approach to drug development for its biotech clients."

Novotech also recently produced a new publication for biotechs considering China for their clinical research, and the relevant processes required for global regulatory approvals. The report details regulatory requirements for biotechs including NDA and IND processes as well as ex-US research guidance for a successful US FDA approval pathway. Novotech provides the relevant regulatory knowledge and drug development pathways specifically designed to support the US FDA approval process, avoiding delays and additional costs.

Download whitepaper here https://novotech-cro.com/whitepapers/china-biotech-landscape-opportunities-china-and-path-usfda-approval

Novotech has also recently been benchmarked as a top 10 CRO among the world's leading CROs, is a finalist in the prestigious Scrip awards, and has just been awarded the Gene & Cell Therapy Excellence Award.

About Novotech – https://novotech-cro.com

Novotech is internationally recognized as the leading Asia Pacific centred contract research organization (CRO) with global execution capabilities. Novotech is a clinical CRO with labs, phase I facilities, and drug development consulting services. It has accumulated experience in over 3,700 pre-clinical and clinical projects, including Phase I to Phase IV clinical trials and bioequivalence studies. Novotech is positioned to serve biopharmaceutical clients conducting clinical trials in Asia, the US and globally. Novotech has over 2500 staff working across our offices in 13 geographies. For more information visit https://novotech-cro.com/contact

Media Contact
David James
E: communications@novotech-cro.com
AU: +61 2 8218 2144
USA: +1 415 951 3228
Asia: +65 3159 3427

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Data Shows 50% of New Trials Have Sites in Asia Pacific

SYDNEY, AU, Dec 15, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Novotech, the Asia Pacific centered biotech specialist CRO said the latest industry research publication by GlobalData and Novotech found almost 50% of new trials had sites in Asia Pacific.



According to the new publication titled "State of the Global Biotech Landscape: Where the Opportunities Lie", demand for Asia Pacific trial sites is strong with almost half of the more than 27,000 clinical trials initiated in 2021 having sites in Asia Pacific. The data shows almost 12,900 of the new trials had sites in Asia Pacific.

Download the report here https://novotech-cro.com/whitepapers/state-global-biotech-landscape-where-opportunities-lie

The report also noted that the Asia Pacific region, which has more than 6,772 trial sites each with access to an average of 2,136 million people, has considerable underutilized capacity presenting an opportunity for growth in multinational trials in the region.

In addition, analysis of trial growth trends found that Asia Pacific has also seen high phase-level growth over the 5-year analysis period to 2022.
– Phases I and II were dominated by Asia Pacific, which served as a trial location in 57% and 49% of trials, respectively.
– US and EU remained stable at approximately 20% at phases I through III.
– RoW representation is low in phases I and II but on par with the US and EU in phase III.

Novotech this month was awarded the Frost & Sullivan Company of the Year Award 2022 for Best Practices in the Asia-Pacific contract research organization industry. Novotech has been a recipient of the Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Best Practices awards since 2006. Frost & Sullivan identifies companies that consistently develop growth strategies based on a visionary understanding of the future, and effectively address new challenges and opportunities.

Frost & Sullivan said: "Our approach involves the deployment of best practices and strategic analytics across a value chain. Against this backdrop, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Novotech for its valuable achievement. Novotech addresses the global drug development market's unmet needs with a strong leadership focus that incorporates client-centric strategies with best-practice implementation. From feasibility assessments to regulatory submission support, data management, medical monitoring, and project management, the company provides a 360-degree approach to drug development for its biotech clients."

In response to the Company of the Year Award announcement, Novotech CEO Dr. John Moller said this award is a credit to our entire global team which has decades of biotech drug development experience. "Our global clients benefit from access to our expert teams in Asia Pacific, which is the fastest-growing clinical trial region, due to its vast patient populations and sophisticated medical research infrastructure. Our consistent investment in advanced training and technology systems combine to deliver a specialist full-service biotech CRO solution."

Novotech also recently produced a new publication for biotechs considering China for their clinical research, and the relevant processes required for global regulatory approvals. The report details regulatory requirements for biotechs including NDA and IND processes as well as ex-US research guidance for a successful US FDA approval pathway. Novotech provides the relevant regulatory knowledge and drug development pathways specifically designed to support the US FDA approval process, avoiding delays and additional costs.

Download whitepaper here https://novotech-cro.com/whitepapers/china-biotech-landscape-opportunities-china-and-path-usfda-approval

Novotech has also recently been benchmarked as a top 10 CRO among the world's leading CROs, is a finalist in the prestigious Scrip awards, and has just been awarded the Gene & Cell Therapy Excellence Award. In Asia Pacific Novotech has more than 50 Leading Site Partnership agreements with major medical research institutions delivering exclusive benefits for sponsors.

About Novotech – https://novotech-cro.com

Novotech is internationally recognized as the leading Asia Pacific centred contract research organization (CRO) with global execution capabilities. Novotech is a clinical CRO with labs, phase I facilities, and drug development consulting services. It has accumulated experience in over 3,700 pre-clinical and clinical projects, including Phase I to Phase IV clinical trials and bioequivalence studies. Novotech is positioned to serve biopharmaceutical clients conducting clinical trials in Asia, the US and globally. Novotech has over 2500 staff working across our offices in 13 geographies. For more information visit https://novotech-cro.com/contact

Media Contact
David James
communications@novotech-cro.com
AU: +61 2 8218 2144
USA: +1 415 951 3228
Asia: +65 3159 3427

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Preventing Strokes and Heart Attacks Doesn’t Have to Come with the Risk of Life-threatening Bleeding

FREMONT, CA, Dec 14, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Verseon is delighted to announce that the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry has published a paper (www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0223523422007577) describing the company's groundbreaking research that led to promising novel drug candidates for cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the world. Hundreds of millions of patients worldwide need anticoagulants to prevent clots that lead to life-threatening events like strokes, heart attacks, and pulmonary embolisms.

However, currently prescribed so-called novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) carry well-documented risks of major bleeds, which in many cases require hospitalization and can be life threatening. Developing drugs that prevent unwanted clots while preserving the body's ability to stop excessive bleeding is the "Holy Grail" of anticoagulant drug programs. Verseon is developing a new generation of anticoagulants called PROACs (Precision Oral Anticoagulants) that address this significant unmet medical need.

The peer-reviewed paper documents how Verseon's medicinal chemistry team optimized various physicochemical properties — including potency, selectivity, and in vivo stability — of compounds from a novel class called N-acylpyrazoles. The resulting reversible covalent thrombin inhibitors are highly effective at preventing clots in vivo. Yet unlike NOACs, they do not inhibit thrombin-mediated activation of platelets, a critical step to stop injury-induced bleeding. Because of their unique mechanism of action, Verseon's drug candidates have demonstrated comparable efficacy to NOACs but with far lower bleeding risks in animal tests. The first lead candidate from this program is currently in clinical trials.

"We are pleased to publish the discovery of this novel class of direct thrombin inhibitors with unique pharmacology," commented Dr. David Kita, Verseon's Chief Scientific Officer. "We look forward to describing further work behind the development of our first PROAC clinical candidate (VE-1902), which we expect will address a significant unmet medical need affecting a very large number of cardiovascular patients worldwide."

The scientific paper, entitled "Discovery of novel N-acylpyrazoles as potent and selective thrombin inhibitors," is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114855.

About Verseon

Verseon International Corporation (www.verseon.com) is redefining delay, prevention, and treatment of disease. Using its unique physics- and AI-based molecule-engineering platform, Verseon is rolling out a steady stream of life-changing medicines. Each of the company's drug programs features multiple novel candidates with unique therapeutic properties. Verseon's pipeline currently includes seven drug programs spanning major cardiometabolic diseases and cancers.

Verseon's precision oral anticoagulants (PROACs) are potent, highly selective, reversible covalent inhibitors of thrombin. PROACs have shown excellent efficacy in multiple preclinical studies. The fact that PROACs do not disrupt platelet function and demonstrate correspondingly low bleeding risk makes them excellent candidates for use in long-term combination anticoagulant-antiplatelet therapy. The first development candidate, VE-1902, is currently in clinical trials. Among other unique properties of PROACs, VE-1902 has very low renal clearance, a highly desirable feature for patients with impaired kidney function. Verseon also has a second anticoagulant development candidate, VE-2851, which is expected to enter clinical trials at a later date.

Contact:
Walter Jones
mediarelations@verseon.com

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Novotech Awarded the Asia Pacific CRO of the Year 2022 for Best Practices in Clinical Trials

SYDNEY, AU, Dec 6, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Novotech, the leading Asia Pacific biotech specialist CRO, has been awarded the Frost & Sullivan Company of the Year Award 2022 for Best Practices in the Asia-Pacific contract research organization industry. Novotech has been a recipient of the Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Best Practices awards since 2006.

Frost & Sullivan identifies companies that consistently develop growth strategies based on a visionary understanding of the future, and effectively address new challenges and opportunities.

Frost & Sullivan said: "Our approach involves the deployment of best practices and strategic analytics across a value chain. Against this backdrop, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Novotech for its valuable achievement. Novotech addresses the global drug development market's unmet needs with a strong leadership focus that incorporates client-centric strategies with best-practice implementation. From feasibility assessments to regulatory submission support, data management, medical monitoring, and project management, the company provides a 360-degree approach to drug development for its biotech clients."

In response to the Company of the Year Award announcement, Novotech CEO Dr. John Moller said this award is a credit to our entire global team which has decades of biotech drug development experience.

"Every day our team supports biotech companies in their drug development programs with unparalleled regulatory knowledge, vast site and investigator networks, technology-driven clinical data management, and a project management approach focused on problem-solving, ownership, and flexibility. Our global clients benefit from access to our expert teams in Asia Pacific, which is the fastest-growing clinical trial region, due to its vast patient populations and sophisticated medical research infrastructure. Our consistent investment in advanced training and technology systems combine to deliver a specialist full-service biotech CRO solution."

Novotech regularly produces expert reports on East-West strategies. A new publication is now available for international biotechs considering China for their clinical research, as well as China biotechs conducting research in China, and the relevant processes required for global regulatory approvals.

The report details regulatory requirements for biotechs including NDA and IND processes as well as ex-US research guidance for a successful US FDA approval pathway. Novotech can provide the relevant regulatory knowledge and drug development pathways specifically designed to support the US FDA approval process, avoiding delays and additional costs.

Download whitepaper here https://novotech-cro.com/whitepapers/china-biotech-landscape-opportunities-china-and-path-usfda-approval

Novotech has also recently been benchmarked as a top 10 CRO among the world's leading CROs, is a finalist in the prestigious Scrip awards, and has just been awarded the Gene & Cell Therapy Excellence Award. In Asia Pacific Novotech has more than 50 Leading Site Partnership agreements with major medical research institutions delivering exclusive benefits for sponsors.

About Novotech

Novotech is the leading Asia Pacific biotech specialist CRO. Novotech has integrated labs and phase I facilities and provides drug development consulting and clinical development services across all phases. It has been instrumental in the success of approximately 4,000 clinical trials across a broad range of therapeutic areas. Novotech is well-positioned to serve biopharma clients conducting clinical trials in Asia-Pacific and the US. For more information visit https://novotech-cro.com/contact

Media Contact
David James
E: communications@novotech-cro.com
AU: +61 2 8218 2144
USA: +1 415 951 3228
Asia: +65 3159 3427

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

AJG Publishes Data from HighTide Therapeutics’ Phase 2 Study of HTD1801 Treatment in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

ROCKVILLE, MD and SHENZHEN, CHINA, Nov 17, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – HighTide Therapeutics, Inc. ("HighTide"), a globally integrated clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel multifunctional therapies for metabolic and digestive diseases, today announced the publication of the results of their Phase 2 study of HTD1801 in adults with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

This study met the primary endpoint and multiple key secondary endpoints, demonstrating the safety and efficacy of HTD1801 in treating PSC. Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a key biomarker of PSC disease severity. Data show that compared to placebo, both low and high doses of HTD1801 treatment could significantly reduce serum ALP levels. In addition, HTD1801 significantly reduced alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), further supporting the beneficial effects of HTD1801 in treating PSC. HTD1801 was shown to be safe and well tolerated at the doses studied in PSC patients. No severe adverse event related to HTD1801 treatment occurred.

Professor Kris Kowdley, M.D., Director, Liver Institute Northwest and lead investigator, said, "There is a significant unmet medical need in treatment for PSC. The improvements in ALP we observed in this study, along with the excellent safety profile of HTD1801, are promising. In addition, the results of this study lay the foundation for future studies that will potentially prove the significant role of HTD1801 in the treatment of PSC."

Dr. Liping Liu, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of HighTide Therapeutics, said, "We are pleased to share the news of this publication. The results of this study encourage us to further study HTD1801's effects in treating PSC. We believe the long-term treatment of HTD1801 will lead to more clinical benefits for patients with PSC, who suffer with a disease with no effective therapy until today."

About Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic, progressive liver disease characterized by progressive inflammation and fibrosis of the intra-and/or extra-hepatic bile ducts, resulting in multifocal bile duct strictures. Most patients eventually have liver failure and cirrhosis, and their risk of malignancy significantly increases. PSC is strongly associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. The accumulating evidence from various studies continues to strengthen the hypothesis that the gut microbiota plays a central role in the pathogenesis and progression of PSC. Until today, there is no approved therapy for PSC. As the fifth leading indication for liver transplantation in the U.S., PSC is a disease with significant unmet medical needs.

About HighTide Therapeutics

HighTide is a globally integrated clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery and development of novel multifunctional therapies for metabolic and digestive diseases with significant unmet medical needs. The company's lead drug candidate, HTD1801, is a first-in-class new molecular entity, currently in clinical development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), severe hypertriglyceridemia (SHTG), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). HTD1801 has received Fast Track designation from the U.S. FDA for both NASH and PSC, as well as Orphan Drug designation for PSC. In China, HTD1801 has been included in the National Major New Drug Innovation Program. For more information, please visit www.hightidetx.com.

Contact
Jeffrey Dao
ir@hightidetx.com
+1-650-580-3872

American Journal of Gastroenterology:
https://tinyurl.com/mr3wyhu6

Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Novotech Chairs BioCentury Summit Workshop on How to Build and Finance an East-West MRCT Strategy

SYDNEY, AU, Nov 11, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – Novotech, the leading Asia Pacific biotech specialist CRO, is sponsoring BioCentury-BayHelix East-West Summit 2022, and Novotech's Chief Commercial Officer Barry Murphy is Session Chair for the expert panel on How to Build and Finance an East-West MRCT Strategy Workshop at the Summit (14-16 November 2022).

Novotech is sponsoring the Networking Reception and Dinner.

Workshop details:
Global Development Workshop: How to Build and Finance an East-West MRCT Strategy
November 15, 2022
2:30 PM – (PACIFIC TIME ZONE)
BioCentury-BayHelix East-West Summit 2022
https://conferences.biocentury.com/china-healthcare-summit/schedule

Panelists are:
– PATRICIA KEEGAN, M.D.: Chief Medical Officer, Junshi Biosciences
– KE LIU, M.D., PH.D.: Chief Development Officer, Marengo Therapeutics
– ROGER LUO, PH.D.: Chief Development Officer, Overland Pharmaceuticals
– PEONY YU, M.D.: Chief Medical Officer, Apollomics Inc.

Novotech has significant real-world experience in East-West MRCT strategy after more than 2 decades managing clinical research programs for biotechs across Asia Pacific and the US.

Commenting on Novotech's experience, Chief Commercial Officer Barry Murphy said the right drug development pathway supports investor attraction and a successful clinical program.

"Local regulatory knowledge and expertise will accelerate early clinical programs, while a global perspective with a focus on US FDA and NMPA requirements, will support key market approvals. Strategies for an East-West MRCT include:

– Companies should engage with the US FDA and NMPA early to confirm guidance on their clinical roadmap.

– Biopharma companies should take advantage of China's revised regulatory framework around acceptance of foreign clinical trials data for drug approval, making it easier for foreign companies to enter the Chinese market.

– For biopharma companies looking to enter China, China's pharmaceutical market has advantages such as conducting first-in-human trials (FIH) and utilization of overseas clinical trial data for clinical trial application (CTA) filing, leveraging expedited clinical development pathways for accelerating the approval process; implementation of the Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) system, favourable government policies to enhance domestic and global innovation encourages foreign direct investments (FDIs) in R&D that benefit the overseas companies.

Novotech regularly produces expert reports on East-West strategies. A new publication is now available for international biotechs considering China for their clinical research, as well as China biotechs conducting research in China.

The report details regulatory requirements for biotechs including NDA and IND processes as well as ex-US research guidance for a successful US FDA approval pathway. Download whitepaper here https://novotech-cro.com/whitepapers/china-biotech-landscape-opportunities-china-and-path-usfda-approval

Novotech, with experienced clinical teams in China and the US, can provide the relevant regulatory knowledge and drug development pathways specifically designed to support the US FDA and NMPA approval process, avoiding delays and additional costs.

Novotech has operations across the Asia Pacific and the US offering a unique and unparalleled suite of CRO services for early to late-phase biotech clinical research. The company has decades of biotech drug development experience, exceptional site and investigator relationships, access to vast patient populations, and a project management approach focused on problem-solving, ownership, and flexibility. Consistent investment in advanced training and technology systems combine to deliver a specialist full-service biotech CRO solution.

Novotech has recently been benchmarked as a top 10 CRO among the world's leading CROs, is a finalist in the prestigious Scrip awards, and has just been awarded the Gene & Cell Therapy Excellence Award. In Asia Pacific Novotech has more than 50 Leading Site Partnership agreements with major medical research institutions which delivers exclusive benefits for sponsors.

About Novotech

Novotech is the leading Asia-Pacific biotech specialist CRO. Novotech has integrated labs and phase I facilities and provides drug development consulting and clinical development services across all phases. It has been instrumental in the success of approximately 4,000 clinical trials across a broad range of therapeutic areas. Novotech is well-positioned to serve biopharma clients conducting clinical trials in Asia-Pacific and the US. For more information visit https://novotech-cro.com/contact

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