Sanofi has taken a chance on Sino Biopharmaceutical’s first-in-class, anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic asset, rovadicitinib, through a licensing agreement worth up to $1.53bn.
As part of this deal, Sanofi will pay $135m upfront for the global development, manufacturing and commercialisation rights to Sino’s novel Janus kinase (JAK)/Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor pill, rovadicitinib, which was developed by Sino’s subsidiary, Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group.
This agreement also sees Sanofi commit up to $1.39bn towards potential development, regulatory and sales-based milestone payments – taking the total value up to $1.53bn. The Hong Kong-based pharma is also eligible to receive up to double-digit tiered royalties on the drug’s annual net sales.
Rovadicitinib is currently marketed in China under the brand name Anxu. The drug originally gained approval for the frontline treatment of three types of rare bone marrow cancer, myelofibrosis, in February 2026. This regulatory greenlight made the drug the first dual JAK/ROCK inhibitor to reach the global market. Sanofi hopes, however, that it will show promise in chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) for post-transplant patients.
In a statement to Pharmaceutical Technology, a Sanofi spokesperson said: “This will be part of our transplant franchise, where we have developed strong expertise and a solid reputation.”
“The aim is to complement Rezurock (belumosudil), a demonstration of our continued commitment to patients with cGvHD, a population that continues to face significant unmet medical needs”.
A recent paper published in Haematologica estimates that between 20-50% of patients who have received a transplant will develop GVHD.
Rovadicitinib’s GVHD potential
Chia Tai is already exploring the potential of rovadicitinib through a China-based Phase III trial (NCT06682169) in GVHD, which the company plans to primarily complete in October 2029, as per ClinicalTrials.gov. Outside of China, Sino has also secured approval from US regulators to conduct a Phase II clinical study on rovadicitinib in GVHD within the country.
Rovadicitinib acts through a two-pronged approach, as the drug blocks both the JAK/STAT and ROCK pathways. This dual mechanism directly influences the production of inflammatory cytokines while downregulating overactive T-regulatory cells to promote immune balance.
Currently, there are multiple blockbuster drugs that have gained approval across the GVHD indication, including Novartis and Incyte’s JAK1/2 inhibitor, Jakavi (ruxolitinib) and Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, Imbruvica (ibrutinib).
However, both Imbruvica and Jakavi are soon to experience a loss of market exclusivity, which could open the market up for other, differentiated pipeline candidates.
According to GlobalData, parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology, there are 201 ongoing clinical trials between Phase I and III exploring the potential of various monotherapies and combinations for the treatment of GVHD.
