AstraZeneca will license experimental drugs for obesity and weight-related conditions from CSPC Pharmaceutical Group and collaborate on additional projects, paying $1.2 billion upfront and up to $17.3 billion more if development and sales milestones are met, the Chinese drugmaker said on Friday. The deal is the latest tie-up between the two pharmaceutical giants, following collaboration in areas such as artificial intelligence. CSPC shares were down about 12% in Hong Kong following the announcement. AstraZeneca has been granted a global licence, excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China. A spokesperson for AstraZeneca said in a statement the new CSPC Pharmaceutical deal was in addition to a previous $15 billion investment in China that it announced on Thursday.

Source: The Telegraph January 30, 2026 09:08 UTC