GSK (LSE:GSK) has entered an exclusive strategic collaboration with Sino Biopharmaceutical (SBP Group) through its Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co., (CTTQ) unit to accelerate bepirovirsen's launch in mainland China while the drug is under priority regulatory review.
Under the agreement CTTQ will purchase bepirovirsen from GSK under agreed supply terms for an initial term of 5.5 years, handle importation, distribution, hospital access and promotional and non-promotional activities, GSK will remain the marketing authorisation holder and retain responsibility for regulatory, quality, pharmacovigilance and global medical strategy, and GSK will book sales of supply to CTTQ.
The deal also grants GSK the right to review certain early-stage pipeline assets of the SBP Group to evaluate potential collaboration opportunities outside China.
CTTQ, part of Sino Biopharmaceutical and described by GSK as a market leader in hepatology, brings a commercial footprint covering more than 5,000 medical centres to accelerate patient access.
Bepirovirsen is a potential first-in-class antisense oligonucleotide for chronic hepatitis B that GSK licensed from Ionis, it has Breakthrough Therapy designation in China and was accepted for Priority Review in April 2026 supported by positive B‑Well 1 and B‑Well 2 Phase III results showing statistically significant functional cure rates.
"By combining GSK's innovation with CTTQ's local scale and execution, we want to reach more patients and directly address one of China's most pressing healthcare priorities," Mike Crichton, President International at GSK, said.
The collaboration's initial commercial term is 5.5 years and may be extended by mutual agreement, with the regulatory submission now progressing through China's priority review process.
