Compared with 2021, 2022 was not a thriving year for cross-border licensing deals involving Chinese biopharmaceutical companies.
From 2021 to 2022, the number of in-licensing deals dropped from 128 to 90 with total value slumping from 15.55 billion USD to 5.84 billion USD.1 The declines of deal number and value resulted from multiple reasons, including the long-running COVID-19 pandemic, complex international relations, and less financing for biopharmaceutical companies.
Different from the in-licensing deals, the number of out-licensing deals saw an uptick from 50 to 52. Their total value soared from 15.58 billion USD to 28.09 billion USD. The rise of out-licensing deals reflects that China’s innovative drug and technology have received higher recognition overseas.
Numbers of Cross-border Licensing Deals Involving Chinese Biopharma Companies from 2016 to 2022. Source: GBIHealth.
Values (BN USD) of Cross-border Licensing Deals Involving Chinese Biopharma Companies from 2016 to 2022. Source: GBIHealth.
Chinese Biopharma Companies’ Top 10 In-licensing Deals
China’s in-licensing deals trade products in various therapeutic areas: tumor, autoimmunity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hepatobiliary disease, central nervous system disorder, and viral infection, etc.
The largest deal was between Heidelberg Pharma and Huadong Medicine. Huadong Medicine obtained the exclusive development and commercialization rights of Heidelberg Pharma’s HDP-101 and HDP-103 in Asia (except Japan, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka), and the exclusive option for Heidelberg Pharma’s HDP-102 and HDP-104.
View the brief information of top 10 in-licensing deals below:
Top 10 In-licensing Deals Involving Chinese Biopharma Companies in 2022 | ||||||
Licensor | Licensee | Product/ Technology | Disease | Total Value (MM USD) | Upfront Payment (MM USD) | Announced Date |
Heidelberg Pharma AG | Huadong Medicine | Tumor | 1,038 | 20 | 28/2/2022 | |
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals | Huadong Medicine | Autoimmunity | 662 | 22 | 23/2/2022 | |
Voronoi Inc | METiS | Tumor | 482.2 | 1.7 | 13/9/2022 | |
Takeda | Hasten Biopharma | Cardiovascular disease; diabetes | 322 | Not revealed | 31/3/2022 | |
Inventiva S.A. | Sino Biopharma-ceutical | Hepatobiliary disease | 307 | 12 | 22/9/2022 | |
Marinus Pharmaceuticals | Tenacia Biotechnology | Nervous system disorder | 256 | 10 | 17/11/2022 | |
Bavarian Nordic | Nuance Pharma | Viral infection | 228 | 12.5 | 22/3/2022 | |
NiKang Therapeutics | Hansoh Pharmaceutical | Tumor | 218 | 15 | 3/5/2022 | |
Palleon Pharmaceuticals | Henlius | Bifunctional HER2- sialidase; a second bifunctional sialidase to be jointed designed | Tumor | 196.5 | Not revealed | 28/6/2022 |
TiumBio | Hansoh Pharmaceutical | Genitourinary disease | 170 | 4.5 | 8/8/2022 | |
Chinese Biopharma Companies’ Top 10 Out-licensing Deals
The out-licensing deals focused on tumor therapy. The top megadeal worth 9.475 billion USD was inked between Kelun Industry Group and MSD. Kelun granted MSD the exclusive licenses to research, develop, manufacture, and commercialize seven pre-clinical antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in the global area except the Chinese mainland, China’s Hong Kong and Macau.
The top 10 deals are listed below:
Top 10 Out-licensing Deals Involving Chinese Biopharma Companies in 2022 | ||||||
Licensor | Licensee | Product/ Technology | Disease | Total Value (MM USD) | Upfront Payment (MM USD) | Announced Date |
Kelun Industry Group | MSD | Tumor | 9,475 | 175 | 23/12/2022 | |
Akeso | Summit Therapeutics | Tumor | 5,000 | 500 | 6/12/2022 | |
Adagene | Sanofi | Tumor | 2,517.5 | 17.5 | 2/3/2022 | |
Kelun Industry Group | MSD | Tumor | 1,410 | 47 | 16/5/2022 | |
Insilico Medicine | Sanofi | Not revealed | 1,200 | 21.5 | 8/11/2022 | |
CSPC Pharma | Elevation Oncology | Tumor | 1,195 | 27 | 28/7/2022 | |
LaNova Medicines | Turning Point | Tumor | 1,025 | Not revealed | 16/5/2022 | |
Kelun Industry Group | MSD | Tumor | 936 | 35 | 27/7/2022 | |
Jemincare | Roche | Tumor | 650 | 60 | 18/8/2022 | |
Henlius | Organon LLC | Tumor | 541 | 73 | 13/6/2022 | |
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