AstraZeneca steps up metabolic diseases space, pays $1.2B to partner with CSPC on obesity and diabetes drugs
AstraZeneca is expanding its prospects in cardiometabolic diseases, spending $1.2 billion to begin partnerships on eight programs, including obesity candidates with potential advantages over other biopharmaceutical companies' existing products and clinical-stage drugs.
The drug candidate joining AstraZeneca's pipeline comes from China's CSPC. The deal announced on Friday gives the British drugmaker global rights to CSPC's portfolio of once-monthly injectable weight management drugs outside Greater China. AstraZeneca said the collaboration will initially develop four programs that use CSPC's artificial intelligence-driven peptide discovery platform and the biotech company's proprietary technology to enable once-monthly dosing.
CSPC's most advanced program is SYH2083, a long-acting agonist of GLP-1 and GIP receptors. These are the same goals as Eli Lilly's weight loss drug Zepbound. Earlier this week, Roche announced positive interim results for its GLP-1/GIP agonist, which is now expected to enter phase 3 testing. Kailera Therapeutics' GLP-1/GIP agonist is also entering Phase 3. All three drugs are given as weekly injections.
Under the terms of the agreement, CPSC will continue to develop four initial projects before completing Phase 1 testing. AstraZeneca is responsible for the further development and commercialization of any approved products outside China. While CSPC retains rights to the drugs in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, the deal gives AstraZeneca the option to co-commercialize the products upon regulatory approval.
In addition to the $1.2 billion upfront payment, CSPC will receive up to $3.5 billion in development and regulatory milestone payments for eight obesity and diabetes programs. CSPC will also receive additional commercialization milestone payments and royalties on sales of approved products.
The agreement gives AstraZeneca the option to use CSPC's once-monthly delivery technology to develop future metabolic drug candidates. In addition, AstraZeneca holds the rights to deploy the technology in its internal development programs. Sharon Barr, AstraZeneca's executive vice president and head of biopharmaceuticals R&D, said in a prepared statement that CSPC's drug complements the pharmaceutical company's existing programs. The pipeline includes the oral GLP-1 receptor agonist elecoglipron (formerly AZD5004), which AstraZeneca acquired in a 2023 deal with China's Eccogene. Elecoglipron is a small molecule currently in mid-stage clinical development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management.
Other metabolic assets in AstraZeneca's pipeline include AZD6234, a weekly injectable selective amylin receptor agonist currently in Phase 2 development for long-term weight management. AZD9550 is a once-weekly injectable dual GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist currently in mid-stage development for obesity. AstraZeneca also has several preclinical assets across its metabolic disease pipeline.
“[The collaboration] Barr said: “We will provide CSPC's proprietary AI peptide capabilities and platform technologies that have the potential to transform the treatment of obesity and help address key barriers to long-term treatment success – compliance and convenience. This is an important step in creating a portfolio of simple, scalable and sustainable options that can help patients with obesity and weight-related complications live better, healthier lives.”
The new agreement builds on the existing relationship between AstraZeneca and CSPC Pharmaceutical Group. In 2024, the British pharmaceutical company paid $100 million to license CSPC's cholesterol-lowering oral small molecule. Last year, AstraZeneca paid $110 million upfront to collaborate on the discovery and development of new drugs based on CSPC's artificial intelligence-driven technology.
The latest deal between the two companies comes as AstraZeneca Chief Executive Pascal Soriot accompanies British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on his first trip to China in eight years. On Thursday, AstraZeneca announced plans to invest $15 billion in manufacturing and research and development infrastructure in China by 2030.
Photo: Christopher Furlong, Getty Images
