Global oncology innovation from Hengrui Pharma

Chinese biopharma innovation is gaining increasing recognition for its clinical and scientific value globally. One such company that has undergone this evolution in recent years is Hengrui Pharma.

From its foundation in 1970, the innovation-driven, global pharmaceutical company has from the beginning been driven by a patient-focused philosophy, committed to advancing human health by striving to conquer diseases – including cancer, which has been a core focus for Hengrui for decades.

The company’s strategic ambition in oncology has focused on translating scientific innovation into meaningful treatment options for patients, while expanding and advancing innovation that can be of benefit to patients worldwide.

Hengrui is, at the same time, increasing its participation in international scientific exchange: ESMO 2026 offers an illustration of that growing international scientific engagement. This year, 64 research findings involving 21 innovative medicines have been selected for presentation, spanning more than 10 tumour types and treatment areas.

Adapting for an evolving treatment landscape, globally

Cancer treatment needs to address more and more complex challenges. It is no longer simply a matter of identifying new therapeutic targets, but understanding which patients may benefit, how to overcome treatment resistance, and how to improve outcomes across different stages of cancer care.

Different approaches are needed to address these challenges, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), immunotherapies, bispecific antibodies, and targeted small molecules.

In lung cancer, the Phase 3 HERON-Lung01 study evaluates ruzaltatug rezetecan (SHR-A2009), an investigational HER3-targeted ADC, in patients with EGFR-mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer following progression on EGFR-TKI treatment, where further treatment options are needed. Findings from the study have been presented at this year’s Congress.

In pancreatic cancer, meanwhile, Hengrui is exploring HRS-4642, its KRAS G12D inhibitor, in combination with chemotherapy, with or without the immunotherapy adebrelimab, as a potential perioperative treatment strategy.

Meanwhile, ADCs are a strategic pillar of Hengrui’s oncology innovation, their value being in their potential to address specific treatment gaps, particularly where existing therapies have limitations. The company’s HER2-targeted ADC, trastuzumab rezetecan (SHR-A1811), has received approvals in China for indications in HER2-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer, HER2-positive breast cancer, and HER2-positive colorectal cancer. And, at ESMO 2026, the company presented findings from the Phase 3 HORIZON-Breast06 study investigating its use in HER2-low advanced breast cancer.

The next frontier for ADCs, however, lies in better patient selection, overcoming treatment resistance, and exploring effective combinations. The priority must be demonstrating where these advances can meaningfully improve treatment outcomes, rather than innovation for its own sake.

Meeting patient needs across the treatment continuum

Today, Hengrui’s approach encompasses four complementary areas of focus: precision therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and supportive care, reflecting its belief that meaningful progress against cancer requires addressing patients' needs across the treatment continuum.

To this end, Hengrui now has a more diversified innovation portfolio. As of June 2026, the company had 14 independently developed Class 1 innovative oncology medicines approved in China. And, given its evolution, has been not only about expanding the scale of innovation, but also strengthening its global orientation, taking a more internationally integrated approach to research, clinical development, and commercialisation.

With 15 R&D centres across Asia, Europe, the US, and Australia, alongside an expanding network of international partnerships, Hengrui is strengthening the capabilities needed to advance its innovations through global clinical research and regulatory pathways as the oncological landscape continues to change.

Hengrui believes the next phase of oncology innovation should go beyond scientific novelty to demonstrate meaningful benefits for patients through rigorous clinical evidence. Indeed, as Chinese biopharma gains increasing recognition for its clinical and scientific value globally, increasingly the conversation is shifting from where a medicine originates to the quality of its science, clinical evidence, and potential relevance to patients worldwide.

For Hengrui, scientific innovation has long been a primary development strategy. The company’s R&D expenditure has remained above 25% of revenue for multiple consecutive years, supporting capabilities across ADCs, bispecific and multispecific antibodies, targeted small molecules, and other emerging modalities.

The power of international partnerships

While Hengrui continues to invest heavily in its own research, the company also recognises that different companies bring different strengths, particularly in clinical development, regulatory expertise, and international market knowledge. In choosing the right international partners and partnership models, Hengrui looks for a strong scientific rationale for collaboration, complementary contributions from each side, and shared priorities for developing the medicine, from out-licensing to NewCo structures, and strategic alliances.

Since 2023, Hengrui has completed 14 overseas business development transactions for innovative medicines, including collaborations with:

GSK: In July 2025, Hengrui Pharma entered into agreements with GSK plc to develop up to 12 innovative medicines, adding significant value to the globalisation strategy of Hengrui and significant new growth opportunities to GSK beyond 2031. The agreements include an exclusive worldwide license (excluding mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and the Taiwan region) for a potential best-in-class, PDE3/4 inhibitor (HRS-9821) in clinical development for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as an add-on maintenance treatment, irrespective of background therapy. The agreements also include a pioneering scaled collaboration to generate up to 11 programmes in addition to HRS-9821, each with its own financial structure.

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS): In May 2026, Hengrui and BMS announced a global strategic collaboration and license agreements to advance a portfolio of 13 early stage programmes in oncology, haematology, and immunology. The agreements include four oncology/haematology assets from Hengrui, four immunology assets from BMS, and five innovative assets to be jointly discovered and developed by both companies, leveraging Hengrui’s discovery engine and platform technologies across several innovative modalities. Hengrui has the option to co-develop select assets and the potential to conduct certain commercialisation activities globally with BMS.

Greater international recognition brings an opportunity, and responsibility, to generate rigorous evidence and translate promising discoveries into meaningful treatment options for patients worldwide.

AIDD and managing a pipeline of scale

Hengrui is turning its R&D strategy into action, advancing a broad pipeline of innovative medicines while strengthening its R&D capabilities and exploring new technologies to support drug discovery and development. The company currently has more than 100 proprietary innovative candidates in clinical development, with over 400 clinical trials underway domestically and internationally. Managing a pipeline of this scale reinforces the importance of disciplined prioritisation, effective resource allocation, and evidence-based decisions.

Hengrui is also advancing AI-driven drug discovery (AIDD) and integrating AI technologies throughout R&D, from AI-powered target identification and the design of large molecules and peptides to the generation and optimisation of small molecules. By deeply integrating AI with experimental validation, Hengrui aims to improve R&D efficiency and drive innovation. The company is also extending AI applications into emerging fields such as radiopharmaceuticals and nucleic acid therapeutics, accelerating innovation in new molecular entities.

Demonstrating clinical value and reaching patients, worldwide

The significance of ESMO 2026 for Hengrui goes beyond the number of studies presented, though. What matters most are the clinical questions being addressed and how the company’s research could contribute to future treatment options.

This marked Hengrui’s eleventh consecutive year at ESMO, providing an opportunity to discuss its research with international experts, hear different clinical perspectives, and identify questions that future research needs to address. After all, such exchanges will help inform the next steps in oncology innovation and better patient outcomes. Bringing treatments to global patients requires more than robust clinical evidence: it also requires navigating different regulatory requirements and healthcare systems with varying patient needs and access considerations.

Hengrui intends to continue to invest in its R&D capabilities while expanding international clinical development and regulatory activities. Additionally, the company intends to leverage partnerships to support international development.

But, most importantly, patient benefit remains at the centre of Hengrui’s long-term vision. Ultimately, progress is measured by the clinical value of medicines and their accessibility to patients.

About Hengrui Pharma

Hengrui Pharma is an innovation-driven, global pharmaceutical company dedicated to the research, development and commercialization of high-quality medicines to address unmet clinical needs. Its therapeutic areas of focus include oncology, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, immunological and respiratory diseases, and neuroscience. Driven by a patient-focused philosophy since its founding in 1970, Hengrui Pharma remains committed to advancing human health by striving to conquer diseases, improve health, and extend lives through the power of science and technology. For more information, visit us at Hengrui.com and follow us on LinkedIn.