The little-known Chinese biotech whose cancer drug beat Keytruda has global ambitions

Recent headlines about a potent new immunotherapy have mostly focused on the U.S. company helping to develop it. Less attention has been paid to Akeso, a Chinese biotech that had kept a low profile until its drug bested Merck’s mega-blockbuster Keytruda in a late-stage lung cancer trial. 

Now, Akeso’s leaders want you to know that its recent success isn’t a one-off. 

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“We have a deep pipeline that goes beyond ivonescimab,” Bing Wang, Akeso’s chief financial officer, told STAT. “And we definitely want to position Akeso as a global biotech, not just a China story.” 

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