Global Pharma Giants and Chinese Biotechs Intensify Collaboration and M&A in Oncology

 

Recently, Gilead Sciences announced the acquisition of Arcellx for $7.8 billion, gaining its BCMA CAR-T therapy anito-cel (expected to receive FDA approval in the second half of 2026).
 

It is reported that anito-cel, formerly known as CART-ddBCMA, is a BCMA-targeted CAR-T cell therapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Currently, the U.S. FDA has granted anito-cel Fast Track, Orphan Drug, and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designations. In the future, leveraging Gilead's expertise in the field of cell therapy, anito-cel is expected to achieve rapid market uptake after its launch and become a key CAR-T therapy.
 

On February 28, WuXi XDC announced a strategic cooperation agreement with U.S.-based biotechnology company Earendil Labs, granting it access to its self-developed WuXiTecan-2 payload linker technology.
 

According to the agreement between both parties, WuXi XDC will license its self-developed "WuXiTecan-2 payload linker technology" to Earendil Labs, granting the latter exclusive development rights for multiple specific target ADC candidate drugs worldwide. Earendil Labs will combine this technology with bispecific antibodies discovered through its proprietary AI platform to advance the development of corresponding target ADC candidate drugs.
 

On February 25, Junshi Biosciences and Antengene Corporation reached a strategic cooperation. Both parties will jointly explore the synergistic potential of combination therapy using JS207 (an anti-PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody independently developed by Junshi Biosciences) and ATG-037 (an oral small-molecule CD73 inhibitor from Antengene Corporation) in tumor patients in China.
 

JS207 is a PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody independently developed by Junshi Biosciences. Currently, there are 11 Phase II clinical studies underway, involving tumor types such as non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, and liver cancer, with nearly 500 patients already enrolled. ATG-037 is an orally administered small molecule CD73 inhibitor developed by ANTENGENE CORPORATION. Research has shown that the combination of ATG-037 with anti-PD-1 therapy demonstrates promising efficacy in patients resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPI).
 

On February 8, Eli Lilly and Innovent Bio announced an $8.85 billion global strategic collaboration to co-develop innovative immuno-oncology drugs from scratch. Under the cooperation agreement, Innovent Bio will lead the development of relevant projects from drug discovery to the validation of clinical concepts in China (completion of Phase II clinical trials), leveraging its mature antibody technology platform and highly efficient clinical capabilities. Lilly has obtained the exclusive global development and commercialization rights for these projects outside Greater China, while Innovent Bio retains all rights within Greater China.
 

In fact, "cooperation" has become a key focus for Innovent Bio.Biological ProductsAn important component of the pipeline. This collaboration in the field of oncology and immunology marks the seventh partnership between Innovent Bio and Eli Lilly.
 

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Overall, the essence of competition in the oncology drug market lies in the comparison of innovation speed and ecosystem integration capabilities. By 2026, driven by pharmaceutical companies both in China and abroad, technologies such as ADC, cell therapy, immunotherapy combinations, and small-molecule targeted therapies in the oncology field are expected to achieve continuous breakthroughs. Meanwhile, leveraging clinical resources, R&D efficiency, and policy benefits, Chinese pharmaceutical companies will also accelerate their transition from "imitation and following" to "global innovation."
 

　　Disclaimer: In any case, the information or opinions expressed in this article do not constitute investment advice to any person.