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Chinese pharmaceutical company has entered into an agreement with a U.S.-based biotech firm, gaining exclusive rights to an experimental pain medication across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau.
According to the deal, the Chinese company will pay up to $111.5 million for rights to develop, register, and commercialize Cebranopadol, an innovative oral painkiller currently in development. The upfront payment is $17.5 million, with additional milestone payments of up to $94 million linked to key progress indicators such as regulatory approvals in the U.S. and China, along with reaching specific annual sales targets within the licensed territories.
Cebranopadol works on nociceptin/orphanin FQ opioid peptide and mu-opioid receptor pathways. The primary intended use is for managing postoperative acute pain, though it may eventually be expanded for chronic pain treatment. The drug has successfully completed Phase III trials and plans to submit a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration later this year.
Shares of the Chinese firm ended the trading day down 1.2%, closing at CNY 4.08 (approximately 71 cents USD). The overall Shanghai market declined by 1.3%.
The market for postoperative acute pain management in China is projected to grow annually by over 6%, reaching more than CNY 32 billion (around USD 4.7 billion) by 2030. Traditional opioids, which are widely used for moderate to severe pain, carry significant risks including addiction, which limits their usage. This evolving market landscape might favor newer analgesics like Cebranopadol, known for a more favorable safety profile.
The developer of Cebranopadol was established in 2019 in New Jersey and specializes in innovative pain therapies. Its leading product is the drug in question. Its parent company focuses on developing and manufacturing novel drugs targeting the central nervous system, ADHD, and pain management, with several approvals already in place.
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