Debio's dual deal

Debiopharm Group has been stocking up its early stage cancer pipeline with assets it believes have best-in-class potential, the latest being a preclinical dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor from Ascepion Pharmaceuticals Inc. The deal is the first for Ascepion, which set up shop in 2007 after its management team returned to China following stints in academia and industry in the West.

Debiopharm in-licenses compounds in or near the clinic and then seeks to out-license the molecules to pharma prior to commercialization...