GSK Acquires Chinese Biotech Chimagen's Lupus Drug Candidate CMG1A46 in $850M Deal to Expand Autoimmune Pipeline

　　Cailian Press, October 29 (Editor: Shi Zhengzhang)Multinational pharmaceutical giantGlaxoSmithKline PLC.GSK announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, Chimagen Biosciences, to acquire an innovative drug for systemic lupus erythematosus, with the potential value of the deal reaching up to 850 million U.S. dollars.

The announcement shows that the trading opponent is Chimagen Biosciences, and the target isDual-Targeting CD19/CD20 T Cell-Mediated Antibody CMG1A46。

The upfront payment for the deal is $300 million, and Chimagen Biosciences will be eligible to receive additional payments related to drug development and commercial milestones, totaling $550 million.

This acquisition will expand GSK's autoimmune disease treatment pipeline, which already includes Benlysta (belimumab), a blockbuster systemic lupus erythematosus drug.GSK Plans to Further Develop and Commercialize CMG1A46, Focusing on B Cell-Driven Autoimmune Diseases Such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Lupus Nephritis (LN), with Potential Expansion into Related Autoimmune Conditions.

The company stated that there remains an unmet need for lupus patients, especially those who do not respond to current standard treatments.

It is reported that CMG1A46 is undergoing Phase I clinical trials for leukemia and lymphoma in China. GSK plans to initiate a Phase I clinical trial for systemic lupus erythematosus in the first quarter of 2025.

　　Pharmaceutical Giants Set Their Sights on China

As China's pharmaceutical R&D capabilities continue to grow, an increasing number of large multinational pharmaceutical companies are frequently turning their attention to China.

In December last year, Shanghai Hansoh Biomedical announced that it had signed a licensing agreement with GSK involving the overseas licensing of the authorized ADC (targeted antibody-drug conjugate) drug HS-20093, with a maximum transaction value of up to 1.7 billion US dollars. At the end of October last year, Hansoh Biomedical reached an exclusive licensing agreement with GSK for another ADC new drug, HS-20089, with a maximum agreement value exceeding 1.5 billion US dollars.

According to media reports at the time,As an emerging track in cancer treatment, the total value of "overseas transactions" for ADC drugs from Chinese pharmaceutical companies has exceeded 350 billion US dollars.

Meanwhile, in the US stock market, there was also a capital myth related to Chinese drugs going overseas that was hyped up this year. A stock namedSummit Pharmaceuticals (SMMT)'s stock price surged from $3 to over $30 within the year, with the latest quote at $21.

According to a mid-September report by Cailian Press, the catalyst for the company's latest surge was the World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) held in September. Clinical research from China presented at the conference showed that Summit Pharmaceuticals and Akeso Biopharma's globally pioneering PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody new drug, Evecimab, succeeded in the treatment comparison for non-small cell lung cancer.Merck & Co.Pembrolizumab, commonly known in the industry as "K drug".

Pembrolizumab was last year's "global top drug," surpassing semaglutide with sales of $25 billion.

In this collaboration,Demonstrating the "Pharmaceutical Innovation" Power: Chinese Pharmaceutical Companies Remain at the ForefrontAt the end of 2022, Akeso Biopharma licensed partial overseas rights of Ivonescimab to Summit Therapeutics, securing a collaboration deal with over $5 billion in sales royalties, setting a record for China's pharmaceutical industry outbound cooperation at that time.

By the way, the successful cooperation with Chinese pharmaceutical companies has also increased the net worth of Bob Duggan, the co-founder of Summit Pharmaceuticals, to $15 billion, ranking him 138th on the global rich list.

According to the latest news at the end of October, Duggan spent $33 million to purchase one of the most expensive large flats in the Miami area, with an internal area of 1,022 square meters. This penthouse, located on the 57th floor, features 5 bedrooms and an indoor swimming pool.

Editor: Wang Xuning