GSK Partners with CTTQ to Fast-Track Bepirovirsen Launch in China
An exclusive, strategic deal between GSK and Sino Biopharmaceutical's CTTQ unit in China has been struck with the aim of accelerating the rollout of bepirovirsen for Chinese patients.
GSK has entered an exclusive strategic collaboration with Sino Biopharmaceutical Group, via its Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group (CTTQ) subsidiary, to accelerate the rollout of bepirovirsen for adults with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) across mainland China. The deal will see GSK leverage CTTQ’s market-leading hepatitis B expertise and its extensive commercial reach (1).
Under the terms of the agreement, CTTQ will purchase bepirovirsen from GSK for an initial five and a half‑year term and will manage importation, distribution, hospital access, and both promotional and non‑promotional activities at launch. GSK will remain the marketing authorization holder and will retain responsibility for regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, product quality, and global medical strategy (1).
Additionally, the deal gives GSK the option to review certain early‑stage assets from SBP Group for potential collaboration opportunities outside China, a provision that could expand the partnership beyond a single product.
Bepirovirsen is an investigational antisense oligonucleotide designed to reduce hepatitis B virus replication, suppress hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and stimulate immune responses. The candidate has already received multiple regulatory designations internationally, including breakthrough therapy status in China and the U.S., and has been accepted for priority review by the FDA and China’s National Medical Products Administration.
“Chronic hepatitis B affects 75 million people in China and is a leading cause of liver cancer in the country,” said Mike Crichton, President International, GSK, in a company press release (1). “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.”
Recognized as a leading hepatitis B specialist in China, CTTQ has one of the country’s most comprehensive liver-disease portfolios and a wide commercial footprint that covers more than 5,000 medical centers across care settings. The company has reportedly been instrumental in improving hepatitis B diagnosis and treatment in China and helped to advance public awareness and understanding of the disease.
Hepatitis B causes both acute and chronic liver disease, with CHB occurring when the immune system is unable to clear the virus, resulting in long-lasting infection that risks long-term liver complications, including liver cancer (2). In China, CHB remains a significant public health challenge, resulting in approximately 450,000 deaths annually. Globally, CHB affects more than 250 million people and causes approximately 1.1 million deaths each year (3).
References
GSK. GSK Enters Exclusive Collaboration with SBP Group, a Market Leader in Hepatology in China, to Accelerate Bepirovirsen at Launch. Press Release, May 11, 2026.
Hepatitis B Foundation. Acute vs. Chronic Hepatitis B. hepb.org, accessed May 13, 2026.
WHO. Global Hepatits Report 2024: Action for Access in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Global Report, April 9, 2024.