Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Announces License Agreement With Merck

New York – March 25, 2025 – Cooley advised Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals (Hengrui Pharma), a global pharmaceutical company focused on scientific and technological innovation, on its exclusive license agreement with Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the US and Canada, for HRS-5346, an investigational oral small molecule lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), inhibitor currently being evaluated in a phase 2 clinical trial in China. Under the agreement, Hengrui Pharma has granted Merck exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize HRS-5346 worldwide, excluding the Greater China region. Hengrui Pharma will receive an upfront payment of $200 million and is eligible to receive milestone payments associated with certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones up to $1.77 billion, as well as royalties on net sales of HRS-5346, if approved.

Lawyers Alan Tamarelli, Jiqiang Lin, Bill Christiansen, Xixi Sun, Andrew Epstein, Zhijing Yu, David Burns and Julia Brinton led the Cooley team advising Hengrui Pharma.

Cooley previously advised Hengrui Pharma on its global license agreement (excluding Greater China) with Hercules CM Newco in May 2024, exclusive worldwide (excluding mainland China) license agreement with Merck KGaA in October 2023 and global license agreement (excluding the Greater China region and Korea) with Elevar Therapeutics in November 2023.

About Cooley LLP

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation.

Cooley has nearly 1,400 lawyers across 19 offices in the United States, Asia and Europe, and a total workforce of more than 3,000 people.

This content is provided for general informational purposes only, and your access or use of the content does not create an attorney-client relationship between you or your organization and Cooley LLP, Cooley (UK) LLP, or any other affiliated practice or entity (collectively referred to as “Cooley”). By accessing this content, you agree that the information provided does not constitute legal or other professional advice. This content is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction and you should not act or refrain from acting based on this content. This content may be changed without notice. It is not guaranteed to be complete, correct or up to date, and it may not reflect the most current legal developments. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Do not send any confidential information to Cooley, as we do not have any duty to keep any information you provide to us confidential. This content may be considered Attorney Advertising and is subject to our legal notices.