Sino Biopharmaceutical has announced that its subsidiary, Chia Tai Tianqing, has entered into an exclusive strategic partnership with GSK to accelerate the launch of bepirovirsen in its Mainland China homeland. Bepirovirsen, a first-in-class antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy, is designed to achieve functional cure for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) by suppressing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and stimulating a durable immune response. The drug has been accepted for priority review in China following its new drug application (NDA) submission in March 2026. Under the agreement, Chia Tai Tianqing will be responsible for the import, distribution, hospital access, and commercial activities, with GSK retaining the role of Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH).

The partnership leverages Chia Tai Tianqing's leading market position and extensive commercial network in China's hepatitis B sector, which covers over 5,000 medical institutions. Bepirovirsen's positive Phase III data (from the B-Well 1 and 2 studies) and its potential to be the first functional cure for the disease address a critical unmet medical need in China, where an estimated 75 million people are infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). The deal marks the second major strategic collaboration between Sino Biopharm and a global pharmaceutical leader, following a 2024 partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim.

PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database shows that the therapy is also being developed for HIV-1 infection. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.