Laekna-B (02105.HK) Rises Nearly 7% on $2.86B BD Deal for Breast Cancer Star Target Afuresertib, Strengthening Its Muscle-Gain and Fat-Loss Pipeline

According to the Zhitong Finance APP, Laekna Therapeutics-B (02105) rose nearly 7% against the market trend. As of press time, it increased by 2.88%, trading at HK$19, with a turnover of HK$27.711 million.

On the news front, according to Laekna Therapeutics' official WeChat account, on November 12, Laekna granted Qilu Pharmaceutical the exclusive license to research, develop, and commercialize the breast cancer candidate new drug LAE002 (afuresertib) in China. Under the licensing agreement, Laekna is eligible to receive up to RMB 2.045 billion in upfront and milestone payments, as well as tiered royalties ranging from the teens to twenties percent based on net product sales. Additionally, the Phase III clinical trial plan for LAE002 targeting HR+/HER2- breast cancer is expected to complete patient enrollment by the fourth quarter of 2025, with a New Drug Application (NDA) submission planned for 2026.

It is reported that the cooperation between Laekna and Qilu has achieved the optimal allocation of R&D and commercial resources, which represents the increasingly clear division of labor in China's pharmaceutical industry chain. Companies are learning to focus on their strengths while avoiding overextension. Moreover, complementary resource matching between different types of enterprises has become a breakthrough against internal competition and homogenization. LAE002 is just the prelude, fully verifying Laekna’s business development capabilities, clinical execution power, and financial strength, further solidifying Laekna’s core foundation of enhancing muscle and reducing fat. Weight-loss drugs are being redefined, with retaining or even increasing lean body mass becoming a key goal for next-generation weight-loss therapies. Combination therapies, muscle protection, dosage form innovation, and mechanism expansion will become the core competitive areas in the future.