China’s first commercial-use licensing of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) saw East & Concord Partners advising.
Pengbo Hainan, a subsidiary of China Biotech Services, gained licences in BNCT equipment and medicine from Japanese companies Sumitomo Heavy Industries and Stella Pharm.
The transaction was valued at JPY3 billion (USD22.2 million) and a facility set up in Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone will be engaged as a BNCT centre.
Leading partners Huang Peng and Hu Dan acted as counsels, with data and other evidence from the worldwide pharma industry being cited to show the necessity of importing new skills and concepts.
BNCT was discovered by British Nobel Prize winner in physics James Chadwick in 1932 and regarded as the most promising therapy for malignant brain tumours like glioma.
Use of the treatment became less widespread due to high costs and the availability of other radiation therapy. It was not until 2015 that Sumitomo Heavy Industries developed a new machine leading to BNCT being applied to treat patients five years later.
