Goodwin Advises Hengrui on Intellectual Property Aspects of Exclusive License Agreement with Novo for Up to $2.6 Billion

The Life Sciences team advised Hengrui on the intellectual property aspects of entering into a license agreement with Novo Nordisk (“Novo”) for HRS-1596, a phase I-ready glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor (GIPR) dual agonist, with potential for once-weekly oral dosing. Under the terms of the agreement, Novo will obtain exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize HRS-1596 globally, excluding the Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong SAR, the Macao SAR, and Taiwan Region. The potential total value of the agreement is up to $2.6 billion US dollars contingent on the achievement of applicable development, regulatory, and commercial milestones. This includes a $300 million dollars upfront payment. In addition, Hengrui Pharma is eligible to receive royalties based on net sales of HRS-1596 within the licensed territory.

Hengrui Pharma is an innovative, global pharmaceutical company dedicated to the research, development, and commercialization of high-quality medicines to address unmet clinical needs. Its therapeutic areas of focus include oncology, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases, immunological and respiratory diseases, and neuroscience. Driven by a patient-focused philosophy since its founding in 1970, Hengrui Pharma remains committed to advancing human health by striving to conquer diseases, improve health, and extend lives through the power of science and technology.

The Goodwin team was led by Bill Christiansen, Xixi Sun, and Yingying Cai.

For more information on the deal, please read the press release and Fierce BioTech article.