GSK is on the hunt for deals in China after the UK drugmaker rebuilt a “very strong” relationship with the government and local companies since a corruption scandal a decade ago.Chief commercial officer Luke Miels told the Financial Times that the company was working on further deals with Chinese companies after it signed a licensing agreement in October worth up to $1.5bn for a cancer drug developed by Hansoh Pharma.
The same month, GSK agreed a $3bn distribution deal for its shingles vaccine with China’s Zhifei, which may be expanded to cover its new vaccine that protects against the common respiratory syncytial virus, if it is approved by Chinese regulators.
Miels said that the country’s high standards of chemistry made it a good hunting ground. “You can find molecules in China and [often] the Chinese companies just want the [domestic] rights so you can negotiate?.?.?.?[to] take it globally.”