【Guide】Hengrui Medicine and Merck reached an exclusive licensing agreement for the Lp(a) inhibitor.

Leading innovative pharmaceutical company Heng Rui Pharmaceutical is making significant moves to expand overseas.

Hengrui MedicineOn the evening of March 25, the company announced that it has reached an agreement with the American pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. to grant a licensed pay for its lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] oral small molecule project, including the lead compound named HRS-5346, to Merck. Merck will acquire exclusive rights to develop, produce, and commercialize HRS-5346 outside the Greater China region on a global scale.

Hengrui Medicine will receive an upfront payment of $200 million and is eligible for up to $1.77 billion in milestone payments related to specific development, regulatory, and commercial milestones. Additionally, it will receive sales royalties based on the net sales of HRS-5346 if the relevant product is approved for marketing.

HRS-5346 is an investigational oral small molecule inhibitor of Lp(a) that is currently undergoing phase II clinical trials in China. Elevated levels of Lp(a) are a genetically determined condition and an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Approximately 1.4 billion people worldwide have elevated levels of Lp(a).

"Cardiovascular diseases present a huge unmet clinical need globally. We are pleased to announce our strategic cooperation with Merck, a leading company in the cardiovascular field, which will enable Hengrui's innovative cardiovascular drugs to serve patients worldwide," said Jiang Ningjun, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Hengrui Medicine. "I believe that Merck's outstanding clinical research and development capabilities and global footprint will accelerate the development process of HRS-5346."

“Elevated levels of Lp(a) in the blood are a clear risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, affecting up to one-fifth of adults globally,” said Dr. Dean Y.Li, President of Merck Research Laboratories. “HRS-5346 is an investigational oral small molecule Lp(a) inhibitor that will significantly expand and enhance our research and development pipeline in the fields of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.”

It should be noted that the completion of this transaction is subject to approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act in the United States and the satisfaction of other customary conditions. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2025.

On March 25, Heng Rui Medicine's stock price closed at 44.87 yuan, with a latest market value of 286.2 billion yuan.