AstraZeneca has agreed to pay $1.2 billion upfront to CSPC Pharmaceutical for exclusive global rights, excluding Greater China, to SYH2082, a long-acting dual agonist targeting GLP-1 and GIP receptors. The compound is expected to enter Phase I development soon. In addition to SYH2082, AstraZeneca will gain access to three preclinical assets that use different mechanisms of action in obesity and related conditions.
The partnership also includes the joint development of four new programs using CSPC’s sustained-release technology and artificial intelligence-driven peptide drug discovery platform. Across all eight programs and for access to CSPC’s platforms, AstraZeneca could pay up to $3.5 billion in research and development milestones and as much as $13.8 billion in sales-based payments. Including the initial payment, the deal could reach a total value of $18.5 billion.
Sharon Barr, head of BioPharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, said: “CSPC’s pipeline and technologies not only complement the pharma’s existing obesity programs, but provide the ‘potential to transform the treatment of obesity, helping to address adherence and convenience as key barriers to long-term therapeutic success.’”
AstraZeneca previously entered into a potential $5.3 billion agreement with CSPC in June 2025.
Compared with other pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Roche, AstraZeneca is less advanced in developing weight-loss drugs. Its most developed asset is elecoglipron (formerly AZD45004), an oral GLP-1 analog acquired through a deal with Eccogene in November 2023.
In November last year, CEO Pascal Soriot outlined AstraZeneca's focus on treating obesity by addressing its health impacts rather than cosmetic concerns. He said that their approach would target “visceral fat,” which affects internal organs such as the liver and heart.
Soriot also stated that future drug development would aim at reducing fat while preserving muscle mass: “Muscle...is a fundamental aspect of keeping people healthy.”
This latest collaboration adds to AstraZeneca’s recent investments in China. On Thursday, the company announced plans to invest $15 billion in China by 2030 for expanding its cell therapy and radioconjugate capabilities.
Other recent partnerships include a $4.5 billion alliance with Harbour BioMed formed in March 2025 for antibody development and an agreement worth up to $2 billion with Jacobio Pharma signed in December for early-stage work on pan-KRAS inhibitors.
