A proposed outbound investment rule released by the U.S. Treasury Department Thursday would leave U.S. drugmakers free to license molecules from Chinese companies but could have a chilling effect on a broad range of collaborations between U.S. and Chinese companies. The proposed rule would, however, bar U.S. companies and investors, absent a national interest exemption, from acquiring stakes in or forming many kinds of joint ventures with a broad range of Chinese companies. The prohibition in the proposed rule covers companies engaged in “the development, engineering, or use of a biological system—or component of a biological system” to produce or modify pharmaceutical compounds, including small-molecule drugs. It would also bar U.S. companies from building or expanding their own operations in China to engage in those activities. More: biocentury.com/article/66129…

Treasury could release draft COINS rule, including controls on outbound biotech investments, this week. Its fate may be determined by reaction to the Roche-Hansoh deal announced today. Story: biocentury.com/article/66123…

The Roche-Hansoh collaboration announced Monday is part of the Chinese pharma’s strategy to move beyond asset licensing to co-development arrangements that allow it to assume more clinical development risk in exchange for a greater share of future profits, Hansoh’s CBO, Weiyong Sun, told BioCentury. Sun detailed Hansoh's future trajectory in an interview with BioCentury: biocentury.com/article/66123…

Will Heidi Overton be confirmed as FDA Commissioner this year? She’s caught between the congressional clock, Republican divisions over abortion (some demanding reinstatement of mifepristone in-person dispensing requirements, some opposing changes), and the Trump administration’s vaccine policies. Could be tough to get the nomination through the HELP Committee this year – and it could be even more difficult next year. biocentury.com/article/66113…

YolTech has evidence that rebuts Beam’s accusations that it misappropriated trade secrets, Emma Wang, the scientist who is the focal point for Beam’s lawsuit, told BioCentury. Her comments, and a review of YolTech’s scientific publications, suggest that the litigation will be complex and may hinge on a jury’s evaluation of technical questions, as well as its confidence in the trustworthiness of the opposing sides. Much more, including an assessment of the arguments YolTech is likely to make if the case goes to trial, at biocentury.com/article/66097…