Glenmark Pharma signs $18 mn deal with Hengrui for cancer therapy drug

The agreement gives Glenmark exclusive rights to develop and commercialise cancer drug Trastuzumab Rezetecan outside China, the US, Europe, and other select markets

Glenmark Specialty SA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, on Wednesday announced that it has bagged an exclusive licence with China’s Hengrui Pharma for its cancer treatment drug Trastuzumab Rezetecan.

 

The agreement gives Glenmark exclusive rights to develop and commercialise the drug in all territories except Mainland China, the Hong Kong SAR, the Macao SAR, Taiwan Region, the United States (US), Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the company added.

 

Under the deal, Glenmark will make an upfront payment of $18 million, the pharma firm said in a BSE filing. It added that Hengrui is also eligible for regulatory and commercial milestone payments of up to $1.093 billion, in addition to royalties linked to net sales in licensed markets. 

 

 

“We are delighted to collaborate with Hengrui and build on the scientific momentum of Trastuzumab Rezetecan as we continue expanding our oncology pipeline and leadership,” said Glenn Saldanha, chairman and managing director of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals.

 

Adding to it, Jo Feng, president of Hengrui Pharma, said: “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.”

 

Trastuzumab Rezetecan was approved in China in May 2025 for adults with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer carrying a HER2 mutation, after at least one prior therapy. The drug is also under review for breast cancer. It has Breakthrough Therapy Designation in China for nine cancers, including lung, breast, gastric, colorectal, biliary tract, and gynaecological tumours. In August 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted it Orphan Drug Designation for gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, the company said.

 

Shares of Glenmark Pharma closed at ₹2,017.80 each on the BSE on Wednesday.