Feb. 3 Quick Takes: Hillhouse takes stakes in InnoCare, Luye; plus  Merck KGaA, Inivata, Reverie, Neurocrine, Eisai and more  

InnoCare Pharma Ltd. (HKEX:9969) raised HK$3 billion ($392 million) through the sale of 210.5 million shares at HK$14.45 to Hillhouse, which purchased 191.6 million shares for a 12.77% stake in the cancer and autoimmune company, and existing investor Vivo Capital, which purchased 18.9 million shares to bring its stake to 8.2%. The deal came two days after Hillhouse invested HK$1.3 billion in new shares of CNS and cancer play Luye Pharma Group Ltd. (HKEX:2186) and bought existing shares from a selling stakeholder to obtain a 15.6% stake in the company; the firm’s two deals with Luye totaled HK$2.4 billion.

Accelerated approval for Tepmetko for NSCLC with METex14
FDA granted accelerated approval to Tepmetko tepotinib from Merck KGaA (Xetra:MRK) under its Real-Time Oncology Review pilot to treat metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients with mesenchymal-epithelial transition exon 14 (METex14) skipping alterations. The once-daily oral c-MET inhibitor is already approved in Japan. The review was conducted under Project Orbis, with FDA collaborating with Health Canada, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration and Swissmedic...