China-headquartered CSPC Pharmaceutical Group yesterday licensed ex-China rights for its oral GLP-1 receptor agonist SYH2086 to Madrigal Pharmaceuticals in a deal worth up to USD 2.075 billion. The agreement includes USD 120 million upfront and USD 1.955 billion in milestones plus double-digit royalties. SYH2086, a pre-clinical small-molecule GLP-1R agonist, demonstrated in animal studies potent glucose control and weight loss with favourable pharmacokinetics.

Madrigal, developer of the first US-approved metabolic dysfunction-related steatohepatitis (MASH) drug Rezdiffra (resmetirom), will advance SYH2086 for metabolic disorders. CSPC retains rights to develop other oral GLP-1 candidates in China. The deal expands Madrigal's pipeline beyond liver diseases into the competitive GLP-1 market dominated by injectable peptides like Novo Nordisk semaglutide. SYH2086's oral formulation could improve patient convenience if clinical trials confirm its efficacy and safety profile.

According to PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database, this the sixth-largest deal in the GLP-1/GLP-1R space by valuation. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.