Pharma BD Deal Intelligence
Sanofi signed a global exclusive license agreement with Sino Biopharmaceutical's Chia Tai Tianqing subsidiary, announced March 4, 2026, for rovadicitinib (China brand Anxu), a first-in-class oral dual JAK/ROCK inhibitor delivering combined anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. Sanofi pays $135M upfront plus up to $1.395B in development, regulatory and sales milestones and up to double-digit tiered royalties (up to $1.53B total) for worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize the asset. Rovadicitinib won its first China approval in February 2026 for intermediate-2/high-risk myelofibrosis (PMF/PPV-MF/PET-MF); Sanofi intends to develop it for chronic graft-versus-host disease (Phase III ongoing in China, Phase II cleared in the US), positioning it within its transplant franchise alongside Rezurock (belumosudil). The agreement's effectiveness is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory clearances, so the transaction was signed but not yet closed as of the review.