BeOne Medicines secures US$20M option on Huahui Health’s trispecific cancer antibody HH160

USA—BeOne Medicines has agreed to pay US$20 million upfront to secure an exclusive option to acquire rights to a preclinical trispecific antibody developed by the China-based Huahui Health.

The agreement, disclosed in an April 30 announcement, gives BeOne the potential to advance HH160, a novel oncology candidate, into its expanding immuno-oncology pipeline.

Under the terms of the deal, BeOne retains the right to exercise an exclusive licensing option for HH160 upon payment of an additional US$100 million.

If fully developed and commercialized, Huahui Health could receive up to US$1.9 billion in milestone-based payments, in addition to tiered royalties on future global sales.

Alongside the licensing structure, both companies are exploring the possibility of BeOne participating in Huahui Health’s upcoming financing rounds, although any such participation will be subject to separate negotiations, according to the same release.

HH160 and its multispecific cancer-fighting approach

HH160 is a trispecific antibody developed using Huahui Health’s proprietary PolyBoost platform, designed to simultaneously target PD-1, CTLA-4, and VEGF-A.

These three immune and angiogenesis-related pathways are widely recognized for their roles in tumor progression and immune evasion.

According to data presented by Huahui Health at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting last year, HH160 demonstrated strong preclinical potential.

The company reported that the candidate may help enhance synergistic anti-tumour responses, overcome resistance commonly observed with single-agent therapies, and streamline dosing regimens through a multi-target approach.

By integrating three mechanisms of action into a single molecule, HH160 aims to address limitations associated with existing immunotherapy combinations that often require multiple separate drugs and complex treatment schedules.

Financial structure and long-term value potential

The financial framework of the agreement reflects both early-stage risk and long-term commercial potential.

The initial US$20 million payment secures BeOne’s option position, while the US$100 million licensing fee would be payable if the company exercises its option to acquire full development rights.

Beyond these upfront and option-linked payments, Huahui Health stands to gain up to US$1.9 billion in milestone payments tied to development, regulatory approvals, and commercialization benchmarks.

In addition, the company would receive tiered royalties if HH160 reaches the market and generates sales.

This structure underscores the growing value of multispecific antibody platforms in oncology drug development, particularly those targeting multiple immune checkpoints and tumor microenvironment pathways.

Huahui Health’s expanding biopharmaceutical portfolio

Founded in 2015, Huahui Health has evolved into a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company following regulatory approval in China for Libevitug injection, a treatment for chronic hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection.

The monoclonal antibody targets the PreS1 domain of HBV and HDV envelope proteins and is currently being evaluated in a global Phase 3 clinical trial with potential regulatory submission plans in the United States.

Huahui Health’s CEO, Dr. Chen Bin, stated in the April 30 release that the company has built an integrated research and development system covering the full drug development value chain.

He emphasized that this structure enables the identification of novel therapeutic targets and supports the creation of proprietary drug candidates across multiple disease areas.

BeOne Medicines’ Oncology Pipeline Expansion

BeOne Medicines, formerly known as BeiGene, continues to strengthen its position in global oncology markets.

The company has established commercial success with Brukinsa, a BTK inhibitor used in blood cancers, and Tevimbra, a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor.

Following its rebranding and redomiciliation from the Cayman Islands to Switzerland last year, BeOne has accelerated its focus on next-generation oncology assets, particularly multispecific biologics.

The company is also advancing its internal trispecific antibody program, BG-T187, which targets EGFR along with two distinct epitopes of c-Met.

A Phase 1 clinical trial initiated in 2024 is currently evaluating BG-T187 as a monotherapy and in combination with other anticancer agents in patients with advanced solid tumors.