GSK pays US$110M upfront for HUTCHMED’s KRAS cancer therapy
The deal also includes up to US$1.185 billion in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, bringing its potential total value to US$1.295 billion.
UK—GSK has agreed to pay HUTCHMED US$110 million upfront for global rights to HMPL A830, an experimental cancer therapy designed to selectively target solid tumours.
Under the licensing agreement, a GSK subsidiary will receive rights to develop and commercialise HMPL A830 worldwide.
However, HUTCHMED will retain development and commercialisation rights in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
The deal also includes up to US$1.185 billion in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, bringing its potential total value to US$1.295 billion.
HMPL A830 belongs to a new class of therapies known as antibody-targeted therapy conjugates (ATTCs).
The drug combines a KRAS small molecule inhibitor with an antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).
According to HUTCHMED, ATTCs could improve on traditional antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), which typically use cytotoxic agents to kill cancer cells.
HMPL A830 is designed to deliver its KRAS inhibitor directly to EGFR-expressing tumours while also blocking EGFR and KRAS signalling.
GSK’s global head of oncology research and development, Dr Hesham Abdullah, said the therapy’s dual KRAS and EGFR mechanism could offer an improvement over existing standards of care.
Focus on major KRAS-driven cancers
KRAS is part of the RAS family of proteins, which regulate cell growth and division. Mutations affecting the RAS family contribute to an estimated 15% to 20% of human cancers.
KRAS is the most frequently altered RAS isoform and is mutated in about 44% of colorectal cancers, 34% of lung adenocarcinomas and up to 89% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas.
HUTCHMED plans to initially focus HMPL A830 development on these three cancer types.
The leading KRAS inhibitor by sales is Amgen’s Lumakras/Lumykras (sotorasib), which generated US$363 million in 2025.
Bristol Myers Squibb’s Krazati (adagrasib) also recorded strong growth, with sales rising 62% to US$205 million during the same year.
Phase I trial planned for 2026
HUTCHMED plans to begin a global Phase I trial of HMPL A830, registered as NCT07718581, during the second half of 2026.
The company will remain responsible for the programme under the licensing agreement.
The study will include dose escalation and dose optimisation stages.
It will enrol patients with confirmed, unresectable, advanced or metastatic solid tumours whose disease has not responded to standard treatment or has returned despite treatment.
HMPL A830 is HUTCHMED’s third candidate based on its ATTC platform.
HMPL A251, a PI3K/PIKK HER2 ATTC, and HMPL A580, a PI3K/PIKK EGFR ATTC, are also undergoing clinical development.
However, HMPL A830 is the first candidate from the platform to be licensed to a global pharmaceutical partner.
GSK expands oncology pipeline
The agreement forms part of GSK’s broader research and development strategy under recently appointed CEO Luke Miels.
In its second quarter 2026 results, GSK said it planned to achieve US$2.5 billion in savings by 2029, with much of the capital expected to support pipeline expansion through business development, portfolio reviews, and faster late-stage development.
The deal also adds to growing collaboration between Western pharmaceutical companies and Chinese drug developers.
A 2025 GlobalData report found that China-based companies accounted for 20% of drugs in development worldwide.
Cross-border pharmaceutical licensing reached US$136 billion in 2025, compared with US$5 billion in 2020.
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