CSPC Pharmaceutical Group (HKEX: 01093) has received the USD 30 million upfront payment from AstraZeneca under their collaboration, option and license agreement for siRNA drug development targeting renal disease, confirming the deal signed in July 2026 has formally closed financially.
The agreement, announced on July 2, covers two undisclosed renal disease targets and is structured as a platform collaboration rather than a conventional asset license. AstraZeneca is accessing CSPC's proprietary siRNA drug discovery platform alongside its extrahepatic targeted delivery technology — the latter enabling siRNA to reach non-liver tissues, a capability that distinguishes CSPC's platform from the GalNAc-conjugate approaches that dominate the field. No specific drug candidates have been nominated; the collaboration is designed to generate them.
Under the deal's option structure, AstraZeneca holds the right to obtain exclusive global or ex-China rights for each preclinical candidate program. CSPC retains China rights on one of the two programs. Total potential value reaches up to USD 1.77 billion, comprising up to USD 540 million in development and regulatory milestones and up to USD 1.2 billion in sales milestones, plus tiered single-digit royalties.