Summary of Key Points from Conference Call Industry Overview - The conference call discusses the global business development (BD) activities in the pharmaceutical sector during the Chinese New Year period from February 13 to February 23, 2026, highlighting a total of 18 BD transactions globally [1] Core Insights and Arguments - Key Transactions: - Qinhai Bio licensed its MAT2A inhibitor (GH31), which has received IND approval in China and the US and is currently in Phase I clinical trials, to Gilead. Qinhai will receive an upfront payment of $80 million, $1.45 billion in milestone payments, and a tiered double-digit percentage royalty based on net sales [1] - Other notable transactions include: - Novartis partnered with Unnatural Products to develop macrocyclic peptide drugs, focusing on cardiovascular applications, with Unnatural Products receiving an upfront payment of $100 million and potential milestone payments of $1.7 billion [1] - Eli Lilly acquired global rights for the IL6 monoclonal antibody clazakizumab from CSL for all indications except end-stage renal disease, with CSL receiving an upfront payment of $100 million [1] - Merck collaborated with Mayo Clinic to integrate clinical and genomic data, focusing on early research translation in inflammatory bowel disease, skin diseases, and neurology [1] - Year-to-Date Transactions: - From January 1 to February 23, 2026, there have been 36 BD transactions involving Chinese companies, with 13 of these transactions involving multinational corporations (MNCs) [1] Additional Important Insights - Comparison with Previous Year: - In comparison, there were 26 BD transactions during the same period in 2025, with only 3 involving MNCs [2] - Future Outlook: - The analysis indicates that MNCs have increased their focus on Chinese BD teams and asset searches since the second half of 2025, suggesting a positive outlook for more BD transactions involving Chinese assets and MNCs in 2026 [2]