Sino Biopharm (01177) announced that its subsidiary, Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (Chia Tai Tianqing), has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sanofi S.A. (Sanofi) for the global development, production, and commercialization of the group's JAK/ROCK inhibitor, Rovadicitinib. Under the agreement terms, the group will grant Sanofi an exclusive license to develop, produce, and commercialize Rovadicitinib worldwide. The group is entitled to receive an upfront payment of $135 million, along with potential development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments of up to $1.395 billion. Additionally, it will receive tiered royalties of up to double-digits based on the annual net sales of Rovadicitinib. The agreement's effectiveness is subject to customary closing conditions, including obtaining approvals from relevant regulatory authorities.
Rovadicitinib is a first-in-class, novel, potent oral small-molecule JAK/ROCK inhibitor that achieves anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects through dual-pathway synergy. On one hand, it targets the JAK/STAT pathway, directly blocking inflammatory signal transduction and reducing inflammatory factors produced by myeloid cells at the source. On the other hand, it targets the ROCK pathway, downregulating overactivated T-helper cells (Th17) and enhancing regulatory T-cell (Treg) function by modulating STAT3/STAT5 phosphorylation, thereby restoring immune balance.
In February 2026, Rovadicitinib (brand name: Anxu®) received approval from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for marketing. It is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with intermediate-2 or high-risk primary myelofibrosis (PMF), post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis (PPV-MF), or post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis (PET-MF). Furthermore, Rovadicitinib has demonstrated breakthrough potential in the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). In China, it has entered Phase III clinical trials and was included in the Breakthrough Therapy Drug program by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) in August 2025. In the United States, it has been approved to initiate Phase II clinical studies. Ib/IIa phase clinical data for treating cGVHD has been published in the journal *Blood*. The research indicates that compared to other approved therapies, Rovadicitinib shows superior 12-month failure-free survival (FFS) rates, exhibits stronger treatment responses in fibrosis-dominant organs, and has the potential to overcome ruxolitinib resistance.
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