Merck Obtains Global License for Hansoh’s HS-10535

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Merck entered into an agreement with Hansoh Pharma in which the former company will obtain the global license agreement for HS-10535.¹ The molecule, developed by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company, is an investigational pre-clinical oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist.

Merck will develop, manufacture, and commercialize the drug, pending approvals in each global market. In return, the company will pay Hansoh an upfront payment of $112 million. The agreement also includes a series of milestone payments that could yield Hansoh up to $1.9 billion.

In a press release, Merck Research Laboratories’ president Dr. Dean Y. Li said, “We continue to leverage science-driven business development to augment and complement our robust pipeline. Through this agreement, we aim to build on our experience targeting incretin biology to evaluate HS-10535 and its potential to provide additional cardiometabolic benefits beyond weight reduction.”

Eliza Sun, executive director of the board at Hansoh Pharma also said, “We are pleased to announce the in-license of our oral GLP-1 by Merck, a company with established leadership in cardiometabolic diseases. Hansoh Pharma is becoming an emerging leader in metabolic diseases, and we see Merck’s expertise and capabilities as key to accelerating the development of this promising asset for patients worldwide.”

This is the latest global license agreement acquired by Merck.

In November, the company announced that it had obtained the global license for LM-299.² The molecule is an investigational anti-PD-1VEGF bispecific antibody being developed by LaNova Medicines, LTD.

According to the terms of the agreement, Merck paid LaNova an upfront payment of $588 million in exchange for the license. Similar to Merck’s agreement with Hansoh, the contract also includes a series of milestone payments that could yield $2.7 billion for LaNova. As the molecule is still in the investigational stage, the agreement is dependent upon approval in each of the global markets.

In a press release issued at the time, Li said, “At Merck, we continue to assemble a strong and diversified oncology pipeline spanning differentiated mechanisms and multiple modalities. This agreement adds to Merck’s growing oncology pipeline and we look forward to advancing LM-299 with speed and rigor for patients in need.”

LaNova’s founder, chairwoman, and chief executive officer Dr. Crystal Qin added, “This agreement with Merck is a strong testament to the hard work of LaNova’s talented team of scientists who created LM-299. Through internal R&D innovation and strategic external partnerships, LaNova is committed to advancing its pipeline to benefit patients worldwide.”

Sources

1. Merck Enters into Exclusive Global License Agreement with Hansoh Pharma for Investigational Oral GLP-1 Receptor Agonist. Merck. December 18, 2024. https://www.merck.com/news/merck-enters-into-exclusive-global-license-agreement-with-hansoh-pharma-for-investigational-oral-glp-1-receptor-agonist/
2. Merck Enters into Exclusive Global License for LM-299, An Investigational Anti-PD-1/VEGF Bispecific Antibody from LaNova Medicines Ltd. Merck. November 14, 2024. Accessed December 18, 2024. https://www.merck.com/news/merck-enters-into-exclusive-global-license-for-lm-299-an-investigational-anti-pd-1-vegf-bispecific-antibody-from-lanova-medicines-ltd/