GSK partners with SBP Group to accelerate bepirovirsen launch across China

GSK has entered an exclusive strategic collaboration with Sino Biopharmaceutical (SBP Group), through its subsidiary Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group (CTTQ), to support the launch of bepirovirsen in mainland China. The potential first-in-class chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment is currently under priority regulatory review in the country, where the disease affects 75 million people and remains a national health priority.

CTTQ brings considerable commercial infrastructure to the partnership, with one of China’s most comprehensive liver disease portfolios and a footprint spanning more than 5,000 medical centres across care settings. Under the agreement, CTTQ will handle importation, distribution, hospital access, and promotional activities, while GSK retains the marketing authorisation and responsibility for regulatory, quality, pharmacovigilance, and global medical strategy. The deal also grants GSK rights to review certain early-stage SBP Group pipeline assets for potential collaboration opportunities outside China.

Mike Crichton, president of international at GSK, outlined the public health stakes: “Chronic hepatitis B affects 75 million people in China and is a leading cause of liver cancer in the country. 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.”

the disease and treatment backdrop

China’s latest National Action Plan for the Prevention and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis (2025–2030) has set functional cure as the primary treatment goal for hepatitis B — defined as undetectable hepatitis B virus DNA and surface antigen (HBsAg) in the blood for at least six months after stopping treatment. Achieving functional cure is associated with a meaningful reduction in the long-term risk of complications including liver cancer.

where bepirovirsen stands

Bepirovirsen received Breakthrough Therapy designation in China in August 2021 and was accepted for priority review in April 2026. The regulatory submission is backed by positive results from the B-Well 1 and B-Well 2 Phase 3 trials, which demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful functional cure rates.

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Related Topics and Keywords

bepirovirsen, GSK, SBP Group