China Biopharmaceutical Announces $1.9 Billion Licensing Deal with AstraZeneca for PDE3/4 Inhibitor TQC3721-VCBeat

Guide: Latest Updates

Today (July 8), Sino Biopharm announced the PDE3/4 inhibitorTQC3721Global rights outside China licensed to AstraZeneca, which will pay a $200 million upfront payment and potential milestone payments totaling up to $1.9 billion, plus tiered sales royalties of up to double-digit percentages.

TQC3721 is a differentiated PDE3/4 inhibitor independently developed by Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical. It demonstrates significantly stronger inhibition of the PDE3 and PDE4 families than ensifentrine (a product acquired by Merck & Co. through its $10 billion acquisition of Verona Pharma), with superior selectivity and inhibitory potency, enabling it to cover a broader population of COPD patients. Currently in Phase III clinical trials in China, its development progress ranks second globally.

Image source: Medical Notes

The upfront payment for the out-licensing of Chia Tai Tianqing’s PDE3/4 inhibitor has matched the new record for a single small-molecule novel drug. Previously, the upfront payment for the licensing deal between Hengrui Medicine’s LPA small-molecule inhibitor and Merck & Co. was also $200 million.

Image source: Medical Notes

Conclusion

Sino Biopharmaceuticals has been particularly active in business development (BD). While continuously achieving breakthroughs in out-licensing, it is also one of the few domestic pharmaceutical companies actively pursuing mergers and acquisitions. It acquired Lixin Pharmaceutical for $950 million and Hygieia for RMB 1.2 billion, thereby strengthening its portfolio and technological platforms in antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), T-cell engagers (TCEs), and oligonucleotide therapies. Furthermore, Sino Biopharmaceuticals has strategically invested in star biotech firms such as Insilico Medicine and Duality Biologics, continuously enhancing its open innovation ecosystem.

Image Source: Medical Notes

Source | Pharmaceutical Notes (Reprinted with authorization from Yaozhi.com)

Written by | Armstrong

Responsible Editor | Bajiao

Disclaimer: This article is reposted from Yaozhi.com. The copyright of the images and text belongs to the original authors. The content is shared for the purpose of conveying more information and does not represent the views of this platform. If there are any issues related to the content, copyright, or other matters, please leave a message on this platform, and we will delete it promptly.

Collaboration, Submissions | Teacher Ma18323856316 (WeChat ID same as phone number)

Related Tags:China Biopharmaceuticals 0 0