Eisai Licenses Serplulimab from Shanghai Henlius Biotech for Japan
Analysis based on 8 articles · First reported Feb 05, 2026 · Last updated Feb 05, 2026
The agreement is expected to positively impact the pharmaceutical market in Japan by introducing a new treatment option for various cancers, particularly extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. It will also boost the revenues of Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. and potentially Eisai.
Eisai and Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. have signed an exclusive commercialization and co-exclusive development and manufacturing license agreement for the anti-PD-1 antibody serplulimab in Japan. Under the terms, Eisai gains exclusive commercialization rights in Japan, while Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. will receive an upfront payment of USD 75 million, regulatory milestone payments up to USD 80.01 million, sales milestone payments up to USD 233.3 million, and double-digit royalties. Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. will also conduct clinical trials for serplulimab in Japan and assume the responsibilities of the Marketing Authorization Holder. Serplulimab is already approved in China and the EU for various indications, including extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, and is considered the world's first anti-PD-1 antibody for first-line treatment of this condition. This collaboration aims to address high unmet medical needs in Japan for conditions like extensive-stage small cell lung cancer and non-MSI-High metastatic colorectal cancer.
Set up alerts, explore entity relationships, search across thousands of events, and build custom intelligence feeds.
Open Dashboard