Latest news with #JiangsuHengruiPharmaceuticals
Reuters
15-07-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Kailera touts late-stage win for weight-loss drug in China
July 15 (Reuters) - U.S.-based Kailera Therapeutics and Chinese firm Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals' ( opens new tab experimental weight-loss drug has helped overweight patients lose up to 17.7% of body weight in a late-stage study in China, the companies said on Tuesday. Up to 88% of participants who received the drug, known as KAI-9531 outside China, lost at least 5% of their weight after 48 weeks compared to placebo, meeting the study's main goals. The data comes at a time when U.S. drugmakers are increasingly looking to China to secure the rights to promising drug candidates at a lower cost and access important early data that could pave the way for global trials. "As we think about commercial opportunity, this is a really good first look as to what we think we're going to be able to leverage in terms of (obesity treatment) marketplace going forward," Kailera CEO Ron Renaud said. The startup was launched last year with a rare $400 million early-stage funding and four obesity drug candidates licensed from Hengrui, in a move to grab a slice of the obesity treatment market primed to be worth $150 billion by the end of the decade. KAI-9531, administered as a weekly injection, belongs to a the GLP-1 class of treatments that include Eli Lilly's (LLY.N), opens new tab Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's ( opens new tab Wegovy. The drugs work by helping control blood sugar levels and triggering a feeling of fullness. "Where we're really focused is where weight loss matters most, which is in people living with higher BMIs (body mass index)," Chief Commercial Officer Jamie Coleman said. "Today's a lot of clinical need on the table for people who need to lose more than 20% (of weight)." In the study that included 567 participants, a six-milligram dose of the drug led to an average weight loss of 17.7% compared to placebo. The companies said the side effects were mild to moderate and gastrointestinal-related, consistent with similar treatments. Hengrui plans to seek regulatory approval in China, while Kailera will pursue global trials with higher doses and extended treatment durations. Earlier this year, an eight-milligram dose of the drug led to an average weight loss of 22.8% in a mid-stage trial.
Bloomberg
23-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Chinese Firms' Stellar HK Debuts Spur Hopes of Valuation Shift
The robust performance of two major Hong Kong stock listings this week has raised hopes that a small group of elite Chinese companies may start driving a shift to end the city's historical discount to mainland markets. The latest addition to the cohort is Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., China's largest drugmaker by market value, which surged as much as 37% in its trading debut Friday in the Asian financial hub after raising HK$9.9 billion ($1.3 billion). The company's H-shares briefly commanded a 0.3% premium over its Shanghai-listed A-shares, before reverting to a discount of 4%.
Reuters
14-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
China's Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals aims to raise up to $1.27 billion in Hong Kong IPO
May 15 (Reuters) - China-based Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals is seeking to raise up to HK$9.89 billion ($1.27 billion) in a Hong Kong initial public offering, according to a regulatory filing made on Thursday. ($1 = 7.8042 Hong Kong dollars)
South China Morning Post
05-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Ahead of Hong Kong IPO, China drug maker Hengrui touts partnership with US giant Merck
Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, a leading Chinese developer of novel drugs that recently received approval to go public in Hong Kong, is likely to see an acceleration in growth as its research and development (R&D) pipeline bears fruit, analysts said. Advertisement 'Hengrui has achieved an industry-leading, highly differentiated innovative drugs pipeline, of which some have the potential to become commercialised heavyweights,' said Yongxing Securities analyst Peng Bo in a note on April 29. 'We expect its sales growth will continue to be driven by novel drugs, with the licensing of intellectual property rights to overseas partners as the second biggest revenue driver.' Last week, Hengrui said it received regulatory approval to float up to 815 million new shares on Hong Kong's stock exchange, which would account for 11.3 per cent of its enlarged share capital. Hengrui is seeking to raise up to US$2 billion, according to media reports. The company, which is based in eastern China's Jiangsu province, began operations in 1970 as state-owned Lianyungang Pharmaceutical Factory. It listed in Shanghai in 2000. Advertisement Over the years, it has shifted focus to developing novel drugs from making generic medicines. It has spent 44 billion yuan (US$6.05 billion) on R&D since 2000, according to its website, the highest tally on the mainland.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Merck Bets $2B on China's Hengrui for Next Big Heart Drug
Merck (NYSE:MRK) is doubling down on China's biotech boomthis time with a $2 billion licensing deal for a potential blockbuster heart drug from Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. The deal gives Merck global rights (excluding Greater China) to develop and commercialize HRS-5346, an experimental oral treatment targeting lipoprotein(a)a lesser-known but dangerous cardiovascular risk factor. Merck will pay $200 million upfront, with the rest tied to development and commercial milestones. If approved, HRS-5346 could carve out a new lane in the treatment of atherosclerosis-related conditions like heart attacks and strokes. The transaction is expected to close in Q2 2025. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 1 Warning Sign with MRK. This move continues a clear strategy: Merck is tapping China for high-impact science at leaner valuations. Just last year, it cut billion-dollar deals with Hansoh Pharma and LaNova, targeting obesity and early-stage cancer drugs. Now, with HRS-5346 in mid-stage trials, Merck is building out its cardio-metabolic pipeline with speedand precision. It's part of a broader shift where Big Pharma isn't just looking to China for manufacturing scale, but for next-gen drug innovation that's ready to move globally. HRS-5346's targetelevated lipoprotein(a)is a genetically inherited condition impacting roughly 1.4 billion people. It's also underdiagnosed and largely untreated, giving Merck an opening in a space with high unmet need and little direct competition. Merck's president of R&D called it a natural fit for the company's expanding cardiovascular portfolio. And with a global spotlight on metabolic health, this latest deal positions Merck to play offensenot just defensein one of medicine's biggest markets. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
