Foreign media report: Novo Nordisk will pay up to $2.6 billion to China’s Hengrui Pharmaceuticals for the rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize its experimental weight-loss drug HRS-1596 outside China, including a $300 million upfront payment and potential milestone payments of up to $2.3 billion. The drug has already received approval in China to initiate Phase I clinical trials for weight management and type 2 diabetes, with potential development as a once-weekly oral formulation.
This marks Novo Nordisk’s second GLP-1-related transaction with a Chinese company, aimed at countering competitive pressure from Eli Lilly and impending patent expirations. It also reflects the rising prominence of China’s GLP-1 drug development pipeline—nearly 250 candidate therapies are currently under investigation, with major multinational pharmaceutical firms including AstraZeneca, Merck, and Pfizer having entered licensing agreements with Chinese developers.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1877672225247232/
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