GSK has entered an exclusive strategic partnership with SBP Group, via its subsidiary Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group (CTTQ), to expedite the launch of bepirovirsen for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in mainland China.

The move leverages CTTQ’s extensive reach and portfolio in liver disease, covering more than 5,000 medical centres in China.

Under this agreement, the company will manage the importation, distribution, and hospital access, as well as all promotional and non-promotional activities for bepirovirsen across mainland China.

GSK will retain its role as marketing authorisation holder and oversee regulatory, quality, pharmacovigilance, and global medical strategy activities.

It will also have the option to evaluate certain early-stage pipeline assets from SBP Group for collaboration opportunities outside China.

GSK International president Mike Crichton said: “Chronic hepatitis B affects 75 million people in China and is a leading cause of liver cancer in the country.

"By combining GSK’s innovation with CTTQ’s extensive local scale and execution, we want to reach more patients, deliver greater impact, and directly address one of China’s most pressing healthcare priorities.”

China’s National Action Plan (2025-2030) has set functional cure as the treatment target for hepatitis B.

Bepirovirsen is an investigational triple-action antisense oligonucleotide (ASO), designed to inhibit viral DNA replication, suppress hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the blood, and stimulate the immune system for a durable response.

Initially licensed from Ionis, bepirovirsen has received priority review, fast track and breakthrough designations from authorities in the US, China and Japan.

GSK recently acquired the rights to SiranBio’s metabolic oligonucleotide therapy for up to $1bn, building on the company’s efforts to indirectly break into the weight loss arena.