AstraZeneca has entered a major collaboration with China’s CSPC Pharmaceuticals to advance the development of next-generation therapies targeting obesity and type 2 diabetes. The strategic deal gives AstraZeneca exclusive rights outside Greater China to a portfolio of once-monthly injectable candidates and access to CSPC’s innovative platforms, boosting its weight-management pipeline.
Under the agreement, AstraZeneca will initially progress four programmes that leverage CSPC’s AI-driven peptide discovery technology and proprietary LiquidGel once-monthly dosing platform. The partnership spans eight obesity and T2D therapy programmes, including a clinical-ready asset, SYH2082, a long-acting GLP-1/GIP dual agonist advancing into Phase I plus three preclinical candidates with diverse mechanisms.
Financial terms include a 1.2 billion USD upfront payment and potential development and regulatory milestones of up to 3.5 billionUSD , along with future commercial milestones and tiered royalties. AstraZeneca also gains optionality to apply CSPC’s dosing platform across its internal metabolic programmes.
Under the deal structure, CSPC will continue development through Phase I, after which AstraZeneca will lead further development and commercialisation outside China, while CSPC retains rights in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. AstraZeneca has the option to co-commercialise in those markets post-approval. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, subject to customary conditions.
The collaboration strengthens AstraZeneca’s position in the rapidly expanding market for obesity and metabolic disease treatments, seen as a critical growth area amid rising global rates of overweight and obesity.
