AbbVie Secures $745M Licensing Deal with Haisco for Pain Pipeline Assets
Key Insights
AbbVie (search) has entered into a licensing agreement worth up to $745 million with Chinese biopharmaceutical company Haisco to acquire rights to multiple pain (search)-related compounds outside of China, Hong Kong and Macau.
The deal includes $30 million upfront and up to $715 million in milestone payments for compounds in preclinical or early clinical development stages, including HSK-55718 (search), a NaV1.8-targeting injectable for abdominal post-operative pain (search).
This acquisition is part of AbbVie (search)'s broader pipeline restocking strategy as the company faces significant revenue losses from Humira's patent expiration, with sales projected to drop over 90% from peak 2022 levels of $21.2 billion by 2032.
AbbVie (search) has secured a licensing agreement worth up to $745 million with Chinese biopharmaceutical company Haisco to acquire development, manufacturing and commercialization rights to multiple pain (search)-related compounds. The deal represents AbbVie's continued efforts to replenish its pipeline as the company navigates the patent cliff facing its blockbuster drug Humira.
Deal Structure and Assets
Under the agreement, AbbVie (search) will provide $30 million upfront and up to $715 million in milestone payments to secure rights to several drugs in Haisco's pain (search) pipeline outside of China, Hong Kong and Macau. Haisco will also receive an undisclosed proportion of tiered royalties on future net sales of any therapies that reach market.
The licensing deal encompasses multiple compounds targeting pain (search)-related conditions, all of which have progressed to preclinical or early clinical development stages in China. While specific details of most assets remain undisclosed, one notable compound is HSK-55718 (search), a NaV1.8-targeting injectable for abdominal post-operative pain (search) currently being evaluated in healthy volunteers through a Chinese Phase I study.
Strategic Context for AbbVie
The Haisco partnership comes as AbbVie (search) contends with the loss of Humira's exclusive market position following the introduction of biosimilar competition in 2023. GlobalData estimates that Humira sales will drop by over 90% from the drug's peak 2022 sales of $21.2 billion by 2032, creating an urgent need for new revenue sources.
At the 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, AbbVie (search) highlighted its immunology and neuroscience portfolios as strong future growth drivers, with Skyrizi (risankizumab) and Rinvoq (upadacitinib) forecast to generate over $41 billion in sales by 2031. The company has also been diversifying its oncology portfolio, including a $5.6 billion deal with Chinese company RemeGen in January 2026 for rights to PD-1 (search)/VEGF (search) bispecific antibody RC148.
Industry-Wide Pipeline Challenges
AbbVie (search)'s pipeline restocking efforts reflect broader industry challenges, with GlobalData forecasting that the US drug market will lose over $230 billion in revenue between 2025 and 2030 due to key patent expirations. This patent cliff has prompted many pharmaceutical companies to seek new assets to maintain growth trajectories.
China's Growing Role in Drug Innovation
The licensing agreement underscores China's emerging position as a leader in innovative drug development. The country has shifted focus from generic medicines to producing innovative, first or best-in-class treatments. In 2024, large pharmaceutical companies licensed 28% of their innovator drugs from China, demonstrating the country's growing influence in global drug development.
Dr. Pangke Yan, Haisco's CEO, emphasized that collaboration is central to the company's international development strategy and would likely "generate sustainable value and long-term returns" for Haisco. Experts have noted that high-value oncology and immunology-focused deals are expected to drive China's continued licensing boom.
The deal positions AbbVie (search) to strengthen its neurology pipeline, which the company has identified as a key growth driver for its future business development.