Lilly-Abbisko Biotech Alliance
Abbisko Cayman and Eli Lilly Deepen Multi-Target R&D Deal Worth Up to $1.9 Billion
Anonymous
Key Points
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Lilly will select disease targets for the collaboration, and Abbisko will conduct discovery and early development activities for programs directed against those Lilly-selected targets using its early-stage platform.
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Abbisko Therapeutics, the Shanghai-based unit of Abbisko Cayman, will execute the collaboration, highlighting the Sino-global structure of the partnership.
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A regulatory note accompanying coverage indicates the deal does not trigger notifiable transaction requirements.
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Public-market context shows Abbisko is listed on HKEX (ticker 2256.HK), with a 52-week trading range reported as HK$8.34–HK$19.78 and recent trading around HK$9.31, reflecting investor interest around the deal.
Eli Lilly and Abbisko Cayman Limited have struck a new research deal worth up to **$1.9 billion**, tasking the Shanghai-based biotech with leading drug discovery across multiple disease targets selected by Lilly. MarketScreener reported the agreement on June 24, 2026, as an expansion of a partnership the two companies first formed in 2022.
Abbisko shares jumped roughly 4% after the announcement, trading near HK$9.31 on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, according to Fierce Biotech. The deal does not trigger HKEX notifiable transaction rules, allowing it to close quickly and with limited public scrutiny.
How the $1.9B Deal Is Structured
Under the agreement, Lilly picks the disease targets. Abbisko then runs discovery and early-stage development using its proprietary platform. Abbisko gets an upfront payment now — though Lilly has not disclosed the exact figure — and can earn up to $1.9 billion more in development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, plus tiered royalties on future sales, according to MarketScreener.
The work will be carried out by Abbisko Therapeutics, the Shanghai unit of Abbisko Cayman. Fierce Biotech notes that Lilly has grown "increasingly secretive" about upfront terms in its China deals, a pattern analysts say lets the U.S. giant lock in access to fast, low-cost R&D before valuations rise.
A 2022 Bet That Paid Off — and Grew
This is not the two companies' first deal. In January 2022, they signed a $258 million collaboration focused on a single small-molecule drug, later identified as P151, aimed at cardiometabolic diseases — an unusual area for the traditionally oncology-focused Abbisko, according to Fierce Biotech. That program's progress gave Lilly enough confidence to expand the scope in 2026 to cover multiple, undisclosed targets.
GuruFocus reports that Lilly has been placing similar large bets across China's biotech sector, previously striking multi-billion dollar deals with Innovent Biologics and Haisco Pharmaceutical. Analysts say Lilly's near-perfect GF Score of 98/100 reflects the "exceptional profitability" that funds this aggressive dealmaking strategy.
Abbisko's Lead Drug Shows What the Platform Can Do
Abbisko's most advanced asset, Pimicotinib (ABSK021), shows the kind of work underpinning the partnership. The drug blocks a protein called CSF-1R and targets Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor, a rare joint disease. China's drug regulator accepted its NDA filing in June 2025. Merck KGaA paid $70 million upfront in 2023 to license it, then paid another $85 million in March 2025 to secure global rights, according to Fierce Biotech.
Abbisko is also developing irpagratinib (ABSK-011), an FGFR4 inhibitor — a type of molecule that blocks a cancer-linked growth signal — with data presented at the AACR Annual Meeting in 2026, per GuruFocus. These programs illustrate why Lilly sees Abbisko's discovery engine as worth a potential $1.9 billion commitment.
Investors Cheer, but Risks Remain Real
Abbisko's stock (2256.HK) hit a 52-week high of HK$19.78 earlier this year before sliding to a low of HK$8.34. The deal announcement pushed shares back toward HK$9.31, a roughly 4.3% gain in a single session, according to Fierce Biotech. That rebound still leaves the stock far below its peak, reflecting how volatile early-stage biotech investing can be.
GuruFocus cautions that Abbisko itself warns it "cannot guarantee" any candidate will reach the market. The $1.9 billion figure is a ceiling, not a check — every dollar depends on hitting future development and sales targets. Most drug candidates never make it through clinical trials, making the headline number more of a best-case scenario than a sure payout.
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