Seek .(US:SKLTY) Di Yi Cai Jing·2025-07-12 05:13Core Insights - The number of approved innovative drugs in China has surged, with 43 new approvals in the first half of the year, indicating a significant growth in the innovative drug industry [1][7] - Chinese companies are increasingly engaging in licensing agreements with international partners, with transaction values exceeding $40 billion in the first half of the year [1][9] - Key areas of focus for innovative drug licensing include GLP-1 weight loss drugs, bispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and AI-driven drug development [1][3][6] Licensing Agreements - Hansoh Pharma granted Regeneron global exclusive rights for its GLP-1/GIP dual receptor agonist HS-20094 outside Greater China [3] - A $2 billion licensing deal was made between United Biomedical and Novo Nordisk for the GLP-1/GIP/GCG triple receptor agonist UBT251 [4] - Pfizer entered a licensing agreement with 3SBio for the PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody SSGJ-707, with an upfront payment of $1.25 billion and potential milestone payments of up to $4.8 billion [4] - HBM7020, a bispecific T cell engager, was licensed to Otsuka Pharmaceutical for a total of $670 million [4] - A strategic collaboration between Hansoh Pharma and AstraZeneca was established for two preclinical immunology projects, with a total upfront payment of $175 million and potential milestone payments of up to $4.4 billion [5] - A new ADC, XNW27011, was licensed to Astellas for over $1.5 billion [5] Market Trends - The DeepSeek effect in China's biopharmaceutical sector is highlighted by significant transactions, such as BioNTech's acquisition of a drug from a Chinese company for over $10 billion [7] - AstraZeneca is in talks to acquire Summit's lung cancer drug, Ivorisumab, which was previously acquired from a Chinese company for up to $5 billion [8] - Goldman Sachs predicts that Ivorisumab could reshape the $90 billion immuno-oncology market, with peak sales projected at $53 billion by 2041 [8] - The expiration of patents for major drugs presents a significant opportunity for Chinese innovative drugs to fill the gap in the market [9] Investment Climate - Chinese biopharmaceutical companies are increasingly prioritizing licensing as a strategic goal, with nearly 30% of global drug development attributed to China [9][10] - The rapid pace and lower costs of drug development in China have attracted attention from multinational pharmaceutical companies [10] - The first half of 2025 is expected to see a surge in IPOs in the Hong Kong biopharmaceutical market, with 10 companies successfully listed in the first half of the year [11] - The biopharmaceutical sector raised HKD 15.6 billion in IPOs, making it the second-highest fundraising industry on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange [11]