China-based Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd (HKG: 3692) announced a licensing agreement with the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute (GHDDI) to develop the COVID-19 therapy GDI-4405. Hansoh will gain exclusive global rights to the drug’s clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization.
Agreement Details
Hansoh will pay GHDDI an upfront fee of RMB 12 million (USD 1.7 million) and commit to up to RMB 1.69 billion (USD 246.4 million) in milestone payments, plus royalties based on net sales.
Drug Profile
GDI-4405 is an oral small molecule 3CL (3C-like) protease inhibitor with potent antiviral activity against COVID-19 variants, including Delta and Omicron.
Market Context
Pfizer’s Paxlovid is already approved in China, while Shionogi’s S-217622 is under review. Other 3CL protease inhibitors in development include Everest Medicines’ EDDC-2214, Junshi Bio’s VV993, Frontier Bio’s FB2001, Zhongsheng Pharma’s RAY1216, and Simcere Pharma’s SIM0417.-Fineline Info & Tech
