3SBio Inc. (HKG: 1530), a biopharmaceutical company based in China, has announced a licensing agreement with fellow Chinese firm Hybio Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (SHE: 300199) for the development of a semaglutide biosimilar. Under this agreement, 3SBio will gain access to Hybio’s preclinical technical results for the drug and will be responsible for clinical research and registration application work. This will enable 3SBio to become the marketing authorization holder (MAH) for the semaglutide product, indicated for weight loss, in a specific region, granting them exclusive marketing rights and commercialization responsibilities. Additionally, 3SBio will entrust Hybio with the exclusive production and supply of the semaglutide product for weight loss indication.
3SBio will make a milestone payment of RMB 270 million to Hybio, which includes an upfront payment of RMB 45 million for the pre-clinical technological achievements, along with double-digit sales commission based on future performance.
Semaglutide, originally developed by Novo Nordisk, is a GLP-1 receptor agonist used for weight management in specific patients, as well as for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes and reduction of major cardiovascular events risk. Other Chinese companies like Livzon Pharma, Huadong Medicine, and Sinopep Biopharma are also developing their own biosimilar versions of this drug.- Flcube.com
