Hengrui Pharma, a China-based pharmaceutical firm, has announced a significant partnership with British drugmaker GSK to develop up to 12 advanced medicines.
The collaboration aims to enhance Hengrui’s globalisation strategy and provide GSK with growth opportunities beyond 2031.
Under the agreement, GSK will obtain a global license to Hengrui Pharma’s potential PDE3/4 programme, HRS-9821, except in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
GSK will make an upfront payment of $500m, in addition to milestone payments and tiered royalties on net sales.
The partnership could potentially be valued up to $12bn if all milestones are achieved.
The licence for HRS-9821 is subject to regulatory clearances under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) antitrust Act in the US.
The collaboration is expected to complement GSK’s Respiratory, Immunology & Inflammation (RI&I) and Oncology pipeline.
GSK chief scientific officer Tony Wood said: “We’re delighted to announce these exciting agreements with Hengrui Pharma, which complement our already-extensive pipeline.
“This deal reflects our strategic investment in programmes that address validated targets, increasing the likelihood of success, and with the option to advance those assets with the greatest potential for patient impact.”
HRS-9821 targets patients with continued dyspnoea or those unlikely to receive inhaled treatments and is in development for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The drug has shown promising results in early clinical and preclinical studies, demonstrating increased bronchodilation and anti-inflammatory effects.
It offers a convenient dry-powder inhaler formulation, in line with GSK’s inhaled portfolio.
The partnership leverages GSK’s expertise in disease biology and clinical development, combined with Hengrui Pharma’s early discovery engine and pre-clinical pipeline.
It aims to accelerate the development of advanced medicines, benefiting from the strengths of both companies.
The agreement also includes a collaboration to develop up to eleven additional programmes.
Hengrui Pharma will lead development through Phase 1 trials, including patients outside China, while GSK holds the option to further develop and market them worldwide, excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
Hengrui Pharma executive vice president and chief strategy officer Frank Jiang said: “This strategic collaboration with GSK marks yet another significant milestone in Hengrui’s globalisation journey and our mission to innovate and deliver higher-quality, cutting-edge therapies for patients worldwide.
“GSK brings additional R&D expertise, a robust global clinical network, and broad regulatory capabilities that will accelerate our PDE3/4 inhibitor as well as an array of other innovative therapy programmes to overseas markets, potentially delivering breakthrough treatments to patients globally.”
