By Fineline Cube 
On August 12, 2025, China-based Huadong Medicine Co., Ltd (SHE: 000963) announced that its exclusive commercialization partnership agreement with Jiangsu Vcare PharmaTech Co., Ltd. for VC005 has officially become effective. The agreement grants Huadong Medicine exclusive commercialization rights for the oral formulation of VC005 in mainland China. Under the terms of the agreement, Huadong Medicine will make an upfront payment of 50 million yuan to Jiangsu Vcare and additional milestone payments of up to 180 million yuan upon regulatory approval.
Partnership Details
Huadong Medicine will serve as the exclusive general distributor for Jiangsu Vcare within the licensed territory, responsible for the commercialization of the licensed product. Jiangsu Vcare will act as the Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH), overseeing the research and development, registration, manufacturing, and supply of the product within the licensed territory.
VC005 Profile
VC005 tablets are a novel, potent, and highly selective second-generation oral JAK1 inhibitor developed by Jiangsu Vcare. By selectively inhibiting JAK1, VC005 reduces inflammatory responses and immune cell activation. It is currently in clinical development for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, with ongoing Phase III trials for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. VC005 has shown comparable efficacy to upadacitinib in a Phase II study and has entered Phase III clinical trials for this indication. The drug maintains strong JAK1 inhibition while reducing JAK2 inhibition selectivity, potentially addressing safety concerns associated with excessive JAK2 inhibition.-Fineline Info & Tech