By VETTAPHARMA reporter – Derek Roche: GSK entered into an exclusive collaboration with SBP Group, a hepatology-focused company in China, to support the future launch and commercialization of bepirovirsen for chronic hepatitis B in the Chinese market.
Under the agreement, SBP Group will support commercialization activities for bepirovirsen in mainland China, leveraging its established hepatology network and market presence to accelerate patient access and launch readiness.
Bepirovirsen is an investigational antisense oligonucleotide being developed for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), targeting hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) with the goal of achieving a functional cure. The therapy recently advanced through the Phase III B-Well-1 and B-Well-2 trials, which evaluated its efficacy and safety in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
China represents one of the world’s largest hepatitis B markets, with a substantial patient population affected by chronic infection, making the collaboration strategically important for future commercialization and market penetration.
The agreement reflects GSK’s strategy of combining late-stage innovation with region-specific commercial partnerships, particularly in high-burden disease areas and large-growth markets such as China.
For patients, the collaboration may support faster future access to potential functional cure therapies for chronic hepatitis B, particularly in regions with high disease prevalence and ongoing unmet medical need.
From a commercial perspective, partnering with an established hepatology-focused company positions GSK to strengthen launch execution and expand bepirovirsen’s market reach in China, potentially supporting future growth in the global hepatitis B treatment segment.
