A team of Fox Rothschild attorneys led by Joe Chen, Ph.D., Jonathan R. Lagarenne and Jin Zhu, Ph.D., advised CSPC Pharmaceuticals Group Ltd. in an $18.5 billion licensing deal for its weight management portfolio with AstraZeneca. The transaction includes an upfront payment of approximately $1.2 billion.

The agreement includes eight programs, including a clinical-ready asset, plus access to an advanced AI-driven peptide drug discovery platform and innovative monthly dosing technology. The deal is expected to advance the development of multiple next-generation therapies for obesity and type 2 diabetes. The initial focus will be on programs that utilize CSPC's advanced AI-driven peptide drug discovery platform and proprietary LiquidGel once-monthly dosing platform technology.

CSPC Pharmaceutical stated in a prepared statement: “We are very excited to further expand and strengthen our strategic partnership with AstraZeneca into the area of weight management. Obesity and related comorbidities represent a significant health challenge but also an opportunity. We hope this win-win collaboration will deliver the next generation of treatments that build upon the emerging science, using our technology platforms and AstraZeneca’s complementary capabilities and reach, to realize global health benefits for people in need of improved weight management.”

Read more about the deal: https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2026/astrazeneca-agrees-obesity-and-t2d-deal-with-cspc.html

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