(Bloomberg) -- GSK Plc acquired an experimental drug from Chinese biotech firm Chimagen Biosciences for as much as $850 million, adding to the British drugmaker’s pipeline of potential treatments for lupus.
GSK will pay $300 million upfront, with privately held Chimagen eligible to receive success-based milestones of as much as $550 million. The antibody drug is in early clinical trials for leukemia and lymphoma. GSK plans to take it into early trials for lupus in 2025, it said Tuesday in a statement.
The drugmaker already has a blockbuster lupus treatment called Benlysta and it is working to expand its immunology pipeline. GSK said it’s optimistic the acquired drug can help treat systemic lupus erythematosus, the most common form of the autoimmune disease, and lupus nephritis, which affects the kidneys.
Big pharma is increasingly looking to China for innovative new medicines. Last year, GSK signed a multi-billion dollar deal for its shingles vaccine in China, as well as a exclusive licensing deal with Hansoh Pharma for an antibody-drug conjugate.
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