GSK plc has announced a major strategic collaboration with Hengrui Pharma, aimed at developing up to 12 innovative medicines across Respiratory, Immunology & Inflammation (RI&I), and Oncology, with the potential to significantly expand GSK’s late-stage pipeline and growth prospects beyond 2031.
As part of the agreement, GSK will pay $500 million in upfront fees and gain access to a series of drug candidates identified for their potential to be either first- or best-in-class therapies.
A key feature of the collaboration is an exclusive worldwide license (excluding Greater China) for HRS-9821, a dual PDE3/4 inhibitor in clinical development for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The drug is designed to be an add-on maintenance therapy for patients with persistent symptoms, regardless of existing treatments. Early data show HRS-9821 offers both bronchodilation and anti-inflammatory effects, with the added benefit of dry powder inhaler (DPI) delivery — fitting seamlessly into GSK’s established respiratory portfolio.
Beyond HRS-9821, the agreement outlines a scaled collaboration on up to 11 additional drug programmes. Hengrui will lead early development — through Phase 1 trials — for each programme, including global patient enrollment. GSK will retain exclusive global commercialization rights (excluding Greater China) and can opt in after Phase 1 or earlier. Each programme will follow a unique financial structure, including the potential for substitution rights.
Tony Wood, Chief Scientific Officer at GSK, commented: “These exciting agreements with Hengrui Pharma complement our already extensive pipeline and represent a strategic investment in validated targets that could make a real difference for patients.”
Frank Jiang, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Hengrui Pharma, added: “This collaboration with GSK marks a significant milestone in our global journey. By combining our early R&D strengths with GSK’s clinical expertise and global scale, we aim to bring transformative therapies to patients faster.”
The partnership is designed to accelerate proof-of-concept development, leveraging GSK’s deep disease area expertise and commercial infrastructure alongside Hengrui’s innovative discovery engine and preclinical pipeline.
This agreement reflects an increasing trend of global pharmaceutical collaborations aimed at accelerating the development of next-generation therapies in areas of high unmet medical need.