China-based Henlius Biotech has entered into an exclusive commercialisation and co-exclusive development and production licence agreement with Eisai for its anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb), serplulimab, in Japan. Under the agreement, Eisai obtains exclusive commercialisation rights for the drug in Japan. Henlius will receive an upfront payment of USD 75 million and is eligible for up to USD 80.0 million in regulatory milestones and USD 233.3 million in sales milestones, plus double-digit percentage royalties on net sales.

Serplulimab is approved in China for several oncology indications, including lung and oesophageal cancers, and in the European Union for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), where it was the first anti-PD-1 therapy approved for first-line treatment. Henlius is currently conducting a Phase II bridging trial for ES-SCLC in Japan and plans to submit a new drug application during Eisai's 2026 fiscal year. The collaboration also includes plans for a clinical study in perioperative gastric cancer in Japan, targeting significant unmet needs in the Japanese oncology market.

According to PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database, serplulimab rights have been traded five times by Henlius and once by parent company Fosun. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.