Frontier Biotechnologies Inc. (Frontier Biotech), a Nanjing-based biopharmaceutical company listed on China’s STAR Market, has signed an exclusive global licensing agreement with GSK, granting the global biopharma company worldwide rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize two of its small interfering RNA (siRNA) pipeline candidates.
Under the agreement, Frontier Biotech will receive $40 million upfront and up to $963 million in development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments across both programs. The company will also receive tiered royalties on worldwide net sales. The total deal value can reach up to $1.003 billion.
One candidate has entered the Investigational New Drug (IND) stage, with Frontier Biotech responsible for completing a Phase I trial in China. The other is a preclinical candidate, for which the company will complete IND-enabling studies. GSK will then lead all subsequent global clinical development, regulatory submissions, and commercialization.
“This agreement reflects the growing recognition of our R&D capabilities,” said Dr. Dong Xie, Chairman and CEO of Frontier Biotech. “It will solidify a robust foundation for the company by deepening international collaborations and accelerating pipeline value conversion.”
Founded in Nanjing, Frontier Biotech is known for developing Albuvirtide (ABT), China’s first domestically developed long-acting anti-HIV drug. The company began building its siRNA pipeline in 2024. siRNA therapies work by silencing specific disease-causing genes with high precision and durability, and have drawn significant global investment as the modality expands from rare diseases into chronic conditions such as kidney disease, high cholesterol, and hypertension.
