China-based Sino Biopharmaceutical has granted Sanofi an exclusive global licence to develop, manufacture and commercialise rovadicitinib, a first-in-class oral JAK/ROCK inhibitor, in a deal valued at up to USD 1.53 billion. The agreement, signed by Sino Biopharm's subsidiary Chia Tai Tianqing, includes an upfront payment of USD 135 million, with the remainder comprising potential development, regulatory and sales milestone payments, plus tiered royalties of up to the double-digit percentage range on annual net sales. The deal is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Rovadicitinib received marketing approval in China in late February 2026 for the first-line treatment of adults with certain high-risk forms of myelofibrosis. The drug is designed to target both the JAK/STAT and ROCK signalling pathways to modulate immune responses. Beyond myelofibrosis, the candidate is also in clinical studies for chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), for which it has received breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) in China, and is being evaluated in combination regimens. Positive early-phase data for cGVHD have been released.

PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database shows that this is the first licensing deal involving a JAK/ROCK-targeted asset. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.