Henlius restructures PD-1 antibody license as Abbott gains rights across 42 additional markets

Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. (SEHK: 2696), headquartered in Shanghai, China, has restructured the commercialization arrangements for its anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody HANSIZHUANG (serplulimab injection) through a pair of simultaneous agreements announced on February 24, 2026. Under the amended terms, Abbott Products Operations AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT), receives exclusive commercialization rights for the Hansizhuang (serplulimab) PD-1 antibody across 42 additional countries and regions spanning Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe.

Concurrently, Henlius entered into an amendment and partial termination agreement with PT Kalbe Genexine Biologics (KGBio), a subsidiary of Indonesia-listed PT Kalbe Farma Tbk (IDX: KLBF), narrowing KGBio’s previously held exclusive license to Indonesia only. The Henlius Biotech KGBio amendment effectively transfers the remaining territories from the original KGBio license agreements — first signed in September 2019 and expanded in August 2023 — into Abbott’s expanded footprint.

Under the Abbott license amendments, Abbott will pay Henlius regulatory milestone payments of up to USD 46 million tied to marketing authorization achievements in the additional licensed territories, plus commercial sales milestone payments of up to USD 80 million based on cumulative net sales thresholds. No upfront payment was disclosed in the HKEX filing. Separately, Henlius will pay KGBio up to USD 33.75 million in transfer milestones linked to the handover of marketing authorizations KGBio had obtained in the terminated territories. The regulatory milestones previously agreed under the original KGBio license agreements were reduced accordingly, and commercial sales milestones and royalties under those agreements now apply only to Indonesia. The amendments to the Abbott license are conditional on execution of the KGBio partial termination agreement, confirmation from KGBio that it has ceased related activities in the terminated territories, and Henlius acquiring the necessary rights to grant Abbott the stipulated license.

Deal context

Serplulimab is an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody independently developed by Henlius that is approved for marketing in mainland China in combination with chemotherapy for first-line treatment of four indications: squamous non-small cell lung cancer (sq-NSCLC), extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsq-NSCLC). The drug has also received marketing authorization in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and other markets. Orphan drug designations have been granted by authorities in the United States, the EU, Switzerland, and South Korea.

Henlius is advancing multiple clinical studies of serplulimab and related combination regimens globally, covering indications including lung cancer, esophageal carcinoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer, and gastric cancer. In December 2025, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) accepted a drug registration application for the molecule in combination with chemotherapy for neo-adjuvant treatment of gastric cancer and granted the application priority review status.

The Shanghai Henlius license amendments consolidate Abbott as the dominant commercialization partner for serplulimab across emerging markets, adding 42 territories to Abbott’s serplulimab footprint, creating a more unified commercial architecture and eliminating the fragmentation of having two regional partners operate in overlapping geographies. The original Abbott license agreement, signed in December 2024, covered Latin America and the Caribbean. In a separate 2023 agreement Henlius granted Intas Pharmaceuticals exclusive rights to develop and commercialize serplulimab in Europe and India, while Fosun Pharma is responsible for serplulimab in the US.