GSK has announced that it will pay $500 million to Hengrui Pharma up front for the rights to Hengrui’s HRS-9821, an inhaled dry powder PDE3/4 inhibitor for the treatment of COPD, plus options to license an 11 additional candidates. The deal, which also includes tiered royalties on potential sales, excludes China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Hengrui recently announced that it had received approval to begin a clinical trial of HRS-9821 in China.
GSK Chief Scientific Officer Tony Wood commented, “We’re delighted to announce these exciting agreements with Hengrui Pharma which complement our already-extensive pipeline. This deal reflects our strategic investment in programs that address validated targets, increasing the likelihood of success, and with the option to advance those assets with the greatest potential for patient impact.”
Hengrui Pharma VP and Chief Strategy Officer Frank Jiang said, “This strategic collaboration with GSK marks yet another significant milestone in Hengrui’s globalization 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 programs to overseas markets, potentially delivering breakthrough treatments to patients globally.”
Read the GSK press release
