Eisai strikes Japan licensing deal with Shanghai Henlius Biotech

Shanghai Henlius Biotech

05/02/2026 10:26

SHANGHAI, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Japan's Eisai 4523.T will licence Shanghai Henlius Biotech's 2696.HK lung cancer drug Hansizhuang, paying $75 million upfront and up to $313.34 million more if milestones are met, the Chinese drugmaker said on Thursday.

The deal is the latest overseas licensing agreement for the drug, approved in markets including China and the European Union, which for Henlius brought in sales of .6 billion yuan in the first half of 2025.

Henlius has entered into business partnerships for commercialising Hansizhuang in more than 100 countries and regions, it said in a filing.

Under the agreement with Eisai, it is eligible to receive up to $80.01 million in payments tied to regulatory milestones, and up to $233.33 million for sales-related milestones, plus additional royalties based on annual net sales.

The agreement covers the development, manufacturing and commercialisation of the drug as an injection. Eisai has been granted a license in Japan for oncology indications.

 (Reporting by Andrew Silver in Shanghai, Editing by Louise Heavens)

 ((andrew.silver@thomsonreuters.com))