London, May 13, 2026, 14:02 BST
- GSK secured exclusive rights to launch its hepatitis B drug candidate, bepirovirsen, in China.
- The deal opens the door for the drug to reach patients through CTTQ, a Sino Biopharmaceutical subsidiary with a network spanning over 5,000 medical centres.
- Bepirovirsen stands out as an important part of GSK’s push to exceed £40 billion in yearly sales by 2031.
GSK plc is pushing for wider access to bepirovirsen in China, locking in an exclusive deal with Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical, part of Sino Biopharmaceutical. With this move, the British pharma giant aims to turn its late-stage hepatitis B candidate into a serious growth engine. CTTQ is set to manage import, distribution, hospital access, and promotion across mainland China. GSK, for its part, keeps a grip on regulatory and medical strategy. GSK
Timing’s key here. Bepirovirsen is on the investor radar as GSK pushes to move past its traditional vaccine and HIV drug business, aiming to top £40 billion in yearly sales by 2031—a goal it stuck with after posting £7.6 billion for the first quarter. Last month, Chief Executive Luke Miels said GSK was “focused on execution and accelerating R&D,” highlighting bepirovirsen filings as evidence of momentum. GSK
China isn’t just another market here. According to GSK, around 75 million people in the country live with chronic hepatitis B, while CTTQ’s reach extends to over 5,000 medical centres. “One of China’s most pressing healthcare priorities,” is how Mike Crichton, GSK’s president international, described hepatitis B. GSK
CTTQ has agreed to purchase bepirovirsen from GSK for an initial five and a half years under specified supply terms, with an extension option built in. GSK keeps the sales on its books for any drugs provided through the partnership. No word yet on financial details. GSK
Bepirovirsen hasn’t received approval in any country so far. The drug, an antisense oligonucleotide, is meant to disrupt the genetic code the virus relies on. According to GSK, it targets viral replication, cuts hepatitis B surface antigen levels in the bloodstream, and helps trigger an immune response. GSK
Under a functional cure, hepatitis B virus DNA and surface antigen become undetectable for at least 24 weeks after stopping treatment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration started priority review of GSK’s bepirovirsen back in April, aiming to issue a decision by Oct. 26, 2026. GSK pointed out that the prevailing standard of care typically calls for lifelong therapy, with functional cure rates still low. GSK
The commercial upside could be significant, though it’s not locked in yet. According to Reuters, GSK is eyeing peak yearly sales topping £2 billion for bepirovirsen and is gearing up for a few launches before year-end. A regulatory call in China looks set for 2027. Reuters
The move lines up with a broader trend: big pharma is increasingly tapping Chinese firms for everything from R&D muscle to faster product rollouts and on-the-ground reach. This week, Bristol Myers Squibb announced new collaboration and licensing agreements with Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, putting up possible milestone payments of as much as $15.2 billion—building on Hengrui’s previous tie-ups with Merck and GSK. Reuters
GSK has kept busy, advancing its drug pipeline and handing cash back to shareholders. The company kicked off the last phase of its £2 billion buyback on Monday—this fifth tranche could total around £180 million. So far, GSK has bought back 114.4 million shares for roughly £1.82 billion. Sharecast
Still, the China deal leaves the core risk untouched. Everything from approval and reimbursement to pricing and physician adoption needs to line up, and GSK has already warned that forecasts might end up far from reality. Hospital access and provincial reimbursement drive drug adoption in China; CTTQ brings clout, but that alone doesn’t seal the outcome.
GSK faces a crucial test: can bepirovirsen shift from just a strong filing to a steady source of revenue? The China agreement opens that possibility. Investors remain focused on approvals, numbers, and how sales actually play out.
