Eli Lilly Inks $1.26B Licensing Deal for Sonefpeglutide Rights
LLY•Lilly will pay Hanmi Pharm $75 million upfront and up to $1.185 billion in milestones for exclusive rights to sonefpeglutide worldwide excluding Korea. Hanmi will complete its ongoing Phase II short bowel syndrome trial while Lilly leads subsequent development, manufacturing and commercialization.
1. Deal Terms and Financials
Eli Lilly will pay Hanmi Pharm $75 million upfront and is eligible for up to $1.185 billion in clinical, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, plus tiered royalties post-launch.
2. Sonefpeglutide Development Pipeline
Hanmi’s sonefpeglutide, a LAPS GLP-2 analogue, is in a global Phase II trial for short bowel syndrome, with non-clinical studies demonstrating intestinal growth and anti-inflammatory effects.
3. Licensing and Commercialization Rights
Under the agreement, Lilly gains exclusive worldwide rights for development, manufacturing and commercialization of sonefpeglutide outside Korea while Hanmi completes its ongoing Phase II trial.
4. Strategic Impact for Lilly
This deal expands Lilly’s gut health portfolio alongside recent vaccine-focused acquisitions, leveraging Hanmi’s LAPSCOVERY platform to bolster its metabolic and rare disease pipeline.
