Kailera’s Bold Bet: Skipping The Lab, Racing To Market With China’s Ozempic Rivals

by News Editor

April 18, 2025

While Big Pharma pours billions into obesity drug R&D, a new biotech startup is taking a shortcut: licensing ready-to-go therapies from China. Kailera Therapeutics, launched with $400 million from Bain Capital, Atlas Venture, and RTW Investments, is fast-tracking four obesity drugs developed by Jiangsu Hengrui — one of China’s pharmaceutical heavyweights.

The playbook? Bypass years of early-stage research. “We saw next-gen GLP-1 therapies that could leapfrog existing options,” says Dr. Amir Zamani, Bain’s life sciences partner who spearheaded the deal. One injectable candidate from Hengrui showed 59% of patients losing 20 %+ body weight in Phase II trials, with mild side effects. Even more promising: two of the licensed drugs are pills, a potential game-changer in a market currently dominated by injectables.

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With global obesity drug sales projected to hit $131 billion by 2028, Kailera aims to move fast. Leading the charge is biotech veteran Ron Renaud, who’s sold three companies for a combined $16 billion. “We likely have the most advanced and diverse weight-loss pipeline outside Big Pharma,” he says. The goal is to bring the first drug to market by 2030 — a rapid timeline thanks to Hengrui’s head start.

China’s rise as a pharmaceutical R&D hub is reshaping the biotech map. Over a third of molecules licensed by Western firms now originate there. U.S. firms have spent $8.1 billion since 2020 licensing Chinese-developed drugs — a stark contrast to just $536 million in the previous five years.

Kailera is betting this east-west fusion can deliver blockbuster results. With 100 million obese adults in the U.S. alone — not to mention global demand — the addressable market is massive. “This isn’t a one-drug race,” Renaud says. “It’s going to take an entire arsenal.”

To prep for launch, Kailera has added top-tier talent: Scott Wasserman, former cardiovascular lead at Amgen, is chief medical officer; Jamie Coleman, who led Zepbound’s commercial rollout at Lilly, now heads marketing.

Whether Kailera becomes the next independent giant or is eventually snapped up by Big Pharma, as Renaud’s previous ventures were, it’s already a standout in the white-hot weight-loss drug race.

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Paphos Wins Two Awards For Long-Term Tourism Strategy

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 23, 2026

The Paphos regional tourism board, Etap Paphos, said on Tuesday that its “Paphos – Unleash Your Senses” campaign has secured two industry awards, underscoring the region’s long-term effort to strengthen its position as an international tourism destination.

Recognition For Strategy, Not Just Promotion

The campaign won gold at the Cyprus Tourism Awards 2025 in the Strategy & Innovation – Timeless Presence category and bronze at the Marketing Achievements Awards 2025 in Integrated Marketing.

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Etap Paphos said the honours reflect more than a successful promotional initiative. They also validate a broader collaborative model developed over the past seven years to support the region’s tourism growth.

A Public-private Model Built Over Seven Years

The strategy was designed around a shared long-term vision, bringing together public institutions and private-sector partners under a single destination marketing framework.

According to the board, it was the first organised effort in Cyprus to successfully align public authorities and private businesses behind one unified tourism strategy. That model, it said, has since become a reference point for how coordinated action can improve a destination’s competitiveness in international markets.

Partnership At The Core Of The Campaign

The success of the campaign was credited to the contributions of a broad network of partners and stakeholders, including the Paphos Regional Board of Tourism, the Cyprus Hotel Association’s Paphos district branch, Hermes Airports, Eurobank, participating hotels and other supporting organisations.

Special recognition was also given to AZTECH, the agency responsible for the campaign’s strategic planning and execution. The board said the agency’s expertise has been central to expanding and reinforcing Paphos’s international presence.

Why The Awards Matter

“These distinctions carry deep significance as they celebrate more than just a successful advertising campaign,” the tourism board said. It added that the awards highlight the value of sustained cooperation and shared objectives over short-term promotional activity.

The recognition comes as Paphos continues working to position itself as a year-round, modern, sustainable and smart tourism destination.

“Elevating the profile of Paphos as a year-round highly modern, sustainable and smart travel destination remains an ongoing effort that relies entirely on the continued commitment and contribution of all partners,” the board said.

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