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Jacobio receives USD 100m upfront from AstraZeneca for pan-KRAS inhibitor JAB-23E73 license deal

Edited by Robert McTiernan··2 min read

Jacobio Pharma confirmed receipt of a USD 100 million upfront payment from AstraZeneca under the license and collaboration agreement for JAB-23E73, a pan-KRAS inhibitor in Phase I/II development for advanced solid tumors. The China-based company disclosed the payment on March 30, 2026, referencing the original agreement announced on December 21, 2025. Under the deal, AstraZeneca receives exclusive rights to develop and commercialize JAB-23E73 outside Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Jacobio retains rights in those territories.

The upfront payment of USD 100 million has been received by Beijing Jacobio, an indirect non-wholly owned subsidiary of Jacobio Pharmaceuticals Group. The full financial terms, including development milestones, commercial milestones, and royalty rates, were disclosed in the December 2025 announcement and are not restated in this filing. Jacobio stated the proceeds would support pipeline advancement in oncology.

Deal context

JAB-23E73 is a small molecule pan-KRAS inhibitor designed to target multiple KRAS mutation variants, including G12D, G12V, G12R, G12C, and G13D. KRAS mutations rank among the most common oncogenic drivers across non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Approved KRAS-targeted therapies — sotorasib (Amgen) and adagrasib (Mirati/BMS) — address only the G12C mutation, which accounts for roughly 10–15% of KRAS-mutant cancers. A pan-KRAS approach would cover the remaining 85–90% of KRAS-driven tumors currently lacking targeted options.

Jacobio received IND approvals in China and the US in September 2024 and dosed the first patient in November 2024. Phase I/II trials are ongoing in the US and in China in patients with advanced solid tumors harboring KRAS alterations. Preliminary Phase I data from the China trial showed an objective response rate of 38.5% and a disease control rate of 84.6% among 13 pancreatic cancer patients treated at predicted efficacious doses. Grade 3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 11.9% of patients, with no Grade 4 or 5 events reported.

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Jacobio was founded in Beijing and maintains R&D centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Boston. The company's pipeline focuses on targeted oncology and tumor immunotherapy across KRAS, STING, P53, and MYC pathways. The company trades on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code 1167. AstraZeneca has been expanding its oncology portfolio through external licensing, and the addition of a pan-KRAS asset addresses a target class where the company had no disclosed clinical-stage program.

Several companies are pursuing pan-KRAS or multi-KRAS inhibitors in clinical development:

  • RMC-6236 (revumenib) — Revolution Medicines — Phase I/II in KRAS-mutant solid tumors
  • BI 1823911 — Boehringer Ingelheim — Phase I in KRAS-mutant solid tumors

The pan-KRAS space remains early-stage, with no approved therapies covering mutations beyond G12C. JAB-23E73's preliminary response data in pancreatic cancer, a tumor type with high unmet need and limited treatment options, positions the program as a candidate of interest in this competitive landscape. No peer-reviewed publications of JAB-23E73 clinical data were available as of March 2026.

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