Hengrui Pharma's stock surged 10.65% in the pre-market trading session on Monday, following the announcement of a significant licensing agreement with global pharmaceutical giant GSK. The deal grants GSK exclusive rights to Hengrui's HRS-9821 project and options for up to 11 additional projects, excluding mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan.
According to the terms of the agreement, GSK will make an initial payment of $500 million to Hengrui Pharma. The Chinese pharmaceutical company stands to potentially receive a total of approximately $12 billion if all projects are granted exclusive options and all development, registration, and sales milestones are achieved successfully.
This substantial deal represents a major breakthrough for Hengrui Pharma, significantly boosting its global presence and financial prospects. The market's enthusiastic response, as evidenced by the sharp rise in stock price, reflects investors' optimism about the company's future growth potential and the validation of its drug development capabilities by a leading international pharmaceutical company.