2022’s Top 10 Cross-border Licensing Deals Involving Chinese Biopharma Companies

by Grace Wang Feb 24, 2023

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.

baipharm-numbers-of-cross-border-licensing-deals-involving-chinese-biopharma-companies-from-2016-to-2022.pngNumbers of Cross-border Licensing Deals Involving Chinese Biopharma Companies from 2016 to 2022. Source: GBIHealth.baipharm-values-bn-usd-of-cross-border-licensing-deals-involving-chinese-biopharma-companies-from-2016-to-2022.pngValues (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

HDP-101; HDP-103; HDP-102;

HDP-104;

Tumor

1,038

20

28/2/2022

Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals

Huadong Medicine

 ARCALYST®; Mavrilimumab

Autoimmunity

662

22

23/2/2022

Voronoi Inc

METiS

Pan RAF inhibitor

Tumor

482.2

1.7

13/9/2022

Takeda

Hasten Biopharma

Ebrantil®, Edarbi®, Blopress®, Basen®, and Actos®

Cardiovascular disease; diabetes

322

Not revealed

31/3/2022

Inventiva S.A.

Sino Biopharma-ceutical

Lanifibranor

Hepatobiliary disease

307

12

22/9/2022

Marinus Pharmaceuticals

Tenacia Biotechnology

Ganaxolone

Nervous system disorder

256

10

17/11/2022

Bavarian Nordic

Nuance Pharma

Prophylactic respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine

Viral infection

228

12.5

22/3/2022

NiKang Therapeutics

Hansoh Pharmaceutical

NKT2152

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

TU2670

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

Seven ADCs

Tumor

9,475

175

23/12/2022

Akeso

Summit Therapeutics

Ivonescimab

Tumor

5,000

500

6/12/2022

Adagene

Sanofi

SAFEbody® Multi-Target

Tumor

2,517.5

17.5

2/3/2022

Kelun Industry Group

MSD

SKB264

Tumor

1,410

47

16/5/2022

Insilico Medicine

Sanofi

Six new targets

Not revealed

1,200

21.5

8/11/2022

CSPC Pharma

Elevation Oncology

SYSA1801

Tumor

1,195

27

28/7/2022

LaNova Medicines

Turning Point

LM-302

Tumor

1,025

Not revealed

16/5/2022

Kelun Industry Group

MSD

SKB315

Tumor

936

35

27/7/2022

Jemincare

Roche

JMKX002992

Tumor

650

60

18/8/2022

Henlius

Organon LLC

HLX11; HLX14; HLX13

Tumor

541

73

13/6/2022

Welcome to contact BaiPharm if you’d like to learn more about China’s pharmaceutical market and regulations.

Grace Wang
ChemLinked Regulatory Analyst / Editor
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