GSK enters into exclusive strategic collaboration with Sino Biopharm

GSK (GSK) announced that it has entered into an exclusive strategic collaboration with Sino Biopharmaceutical (SBMFF), through its subsidiary Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group, or CTTQ, to accelerate bepirovirsen in mainland China at launch. Bepirovirsen is a potential first-in-class treatment for chronic hepatitis B under priority regulatory review in China. CTTQ is a market leader in hepatitis B in China with one of the country’s most comprehensive liver disease portfolios and a broad commercial footprint covering more than 5,000 medical centres across care settings. The collaboration combines GSK innovation with CTTQ’s local scale and in-market execution to reach more patients, more quickly. Under the agreement, CTTQ will be responsible for importation, distribution, hospital access, and promotional and non-promotional activities for bepirovirsen in mainland China. GSK will remain the marketing authorisation holder and retain responsibility for regulatory, quality, pharmacovigilance and global medical strategy. The agreement also grants GSK the ability to review certain early-stage pipeline assets of the SBP Group to evaluate the potential for collaboraton opportunities outside China. Mike Crichton, President International, GSK, said: “Chronic hepatitis B affects 75 million people in China and is a leading cause of liver cancer in the country. By combining GSK’s innovation with CTTQ’s extensive local scale and execution, we want to reach more patients, deliver greater impact, and directly address one of China’s most pressing healthcare priorities.”