Eli Lilly and Company signed two significant licensing agreements in Asia on June 1, 2026.
The company partnered with China’s Haisco Pharmaceutical in a research collaboration worth over $3 billion. Lilly paid $87 million in initial payments for up to five early-stage drug programs.
Lilly also secured a $1.2 billion agreement with South Korea’s Hanmi Pharmaceutical. The deal includes a $75 million upfront payment for exclusive rights to sonefpeglutide outside of Korea. Sonefpeglutide is a Phase 2 GLP-2 agonist candidate targeting short bowel syndrome.
These moves highlight Lilly’s strategy to expand its drug pipeline through external innovation in Asia.