Henlius Biotech has entered a strategic collaboration with Chinese compatriot Chuangte (a subsidiary of Chia Tai Fenghai Pharmaceutical) to secure exclusive commercialisation and development rights for the third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) adonertinib in mainland China and Macao. The deal includes priority rights for the US and Japanese markets. Henlius will pay an upfront fee, development and sales milestones, plus tiered royalties. The candidate’s New Drug Application (NDA) for first-line treatment of EGFR exon 19 deletion non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was accepted by China’s Centre for Drug Evaluation (CDE) in February 2026.

The licensing decision is supported by Phase III data showing adonertinib achieved a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 26.05 months — 9.52 months longer than the control arm. The drug also demonstrated a favourable safety profile with predominantly Grade 1/2 adverse events and no QT-related treatment discontinuations. In a separate I/II study in T790M-positive NSCLC, the confirmed objective response rate was 49.5% with a median PFS of 15.1 months.

PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database shows that, in terms of in-licensing, Henlius has struck a total of 23 deals, including 2 this year alone. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.