GLB-005

China charges ex-AstraZeneca executive Leon WangGluBio gets $30M from Sanofi to move molecular glue duo to the clinicGalecto raises $275M for oncology, fibrosis pipeline China charges ex-AstraZeneca executive Leon WangChinese authorities have formally charged former AstraZeneca China president Leon Wang with illegal trading, unlawful collection of personal information and medical insurance fraud, the Financial Times reported Wednesday.Wang, who led AstraZeneca's China business for roughly a decade and has been detained since late 2024, was charged alongside another former employee and will be tried in Shenzhen, although a trial date hasn't been set yet. Iskra Reic has since stepped into Wang's former role.According to the report, the company's China subsidiary has also been accused of unlawful collection of personal data and illegal trading, though AstraZeneca said authorities have not alleged the company benefited from "illegal gain" as a result of the data practices. The subsidiary was not charged with medical insurance fraud.The accusations of illegal trading stem from a probe into the alleged unauthorised import and sale of AstraZeneca's cancer drug Imjudo (tremelimumab), which is approved in various markets, but not in China. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca has said it paid $3.5 million in import taxes to Chinese customs late last year to settle an investigation tied to the importation of Imjudo, as well as cancer therapies Imfinzi (durvalumab) and Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan), though the company could still face penalties of up to $17.5 million.-Anna BratulicGluBio gets $30M from Sanofi to move molecular glue duo to the clinic Sanofi is backing GluBio Therapeutics, a startup with offices in Shanghai and San Diego that's developing potentially disease-modifying molecular glue degraders.The French pharma made a $30-million strategic equity investment in GluBio, and will receive an exclusive right of first negotiation to the biotech's two lead programmes: GLB-005 and GLB-007. They're slated to start Phase I testing for sickle cell disease (SCD) this year. GLB-005 selectively degrades WIZ, while GLB-007 is directed against WIZ and ZBTB7A; both targets are foetal haemoglobin (HbF) repressors. By degrading these proteins, the oral candidates are designed to activate HbF expression.-Elizabeth EatonGalecto raises $275M for oncology, fibrosis pipelineCancer and fibrosis drug developer Galecto raised a $275-million follow-on late on Tuesday through the sale of 14.5 million shares at $19 apiece. Its stock took a 7% haircut on Wednesday.The company plans to use the cash to fund preclinical and clinical studies of its pipeline programmes, which include galectin-3 inhibitor GB1211 and GB3226 (formerly BRM-1420), a dual ENL-YEATS and FLT3 inhibitor it acquired from Bridge Medicines in 2024. The former is in mid-stage testing for liver cirrhosis, non–small-cell lung cancer and other solid tumours; the latter is in a Phase I/II acute myeloid leukaemia study.-Elizabeth Eaton