Glenmark inks pact with Hengrui Pharma for cancer therapy Trastuzumab Rezetecan

New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd on Wednesday announced signing of an exclusive licence and collaboration pact with Hengrui Pharma for development and commercialisation of Trastuzumab Rezetecan that is aimed at treating different types of cancer.

The company's arm Glenmark Specialty SA has entered into an exclusive licence and collaboration agreement with Hengrui Pharma for Trastuzumab Rezetecan (SHR-A1811), a next-generation antibody drug conjugate (ADC), Glenmark Pharma said in a statement.

Under the agreement, Glenmark obtains exclusive rights to develop and commercialise Trastuzumab Rezetecan worldwide, excluding Mainland China, the Hong Kong SAR, the Macao SAR, Taiwan Region, USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, it added.

Glenmark will pay an upfront payment of USD 18 million. Hengrui is eligible to receive regulatory and commercial milestone payments of up to USD 1.093 billion, it said, adding based on the net sales of Trastuzumab Rezetecan within the licensed territory, the company will pay corresponding royalties to Hengrui.

"This partnership aligns strongly with our strategy to bring differentiated, high-value therapies to patients and reinforces our commitment to advancing innovation in areas of significant unmet need," Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd Chairman and MD Glenn Saldanha said.

Trastuzumab Rezetecan is Hengrui's self-developed HER2-targeted ADC. In May 2025, it was approved in China for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), who have received at least one prior systemic therapy.

In September 2025, the new indication for Trastuzumab Rezetecan in breast cancer was accepted by China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for review and was included in the priority review programme, the statement added.

"This collaboration with Glenmark is a significant step in Hengrui's ongoing strategy to deepen its presence in emerging markets. We look forward to working together to enhance the accessibility of innovative therapies and to bring new hope to patients in more countries and regions," Hengrui Pharma President Jo Feng said.

Glenmark said currently, Trastuzumab Rezetecan is actively advancing multiple clinical trials. In August 2025, Trastuzumab Rezetecan in combination with adebrelimab and chemotherapy obtained Orphan Drug Designation from the US FDA for gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

This collaboration marks a significant step forward in Glenmark's focused oncology strategy, particularly in complex biologics, the company said. PTI RKL HVA