(Reuters) -Merck has signed a licensing deal with Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals worth up to $2 billion for its experimental heart disease drug, the companies said on Tuesday.
Under the terms of the agreement, Merck will get exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and sell the heart disease drug, HRS-5346 worldwide, except in the Greater China region.
The oral drug is currently being studied in a mid-stage trial in China.
Hengrui Pharma will receive an upfront payment of $200 million and is eligible to receive milestone payments up to $1.77 billion associated with certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on net sales of HRS-5346, if approved.
The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025.
(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)
