AstraZeneca expands CSPC partnership with up to USD 1.77b kidney siRNA deal

AstraZeneca has struck its latest in a string of deals with CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited (HKEX: 1093), [agreeing to a collaboration, option and license agreement](https://doc.irasia.com/listco/hk/cspc/announcement/a260702.pdf) worth up to USD 1.77 billion to co-develop siRNA drug candidates targeting renal disease. The deal carries a USD 30 million upfront payment and covers two undisclosed renal targets. The parties will jointly discover candidates using CSPC's proprietary siRNA drug discovery platform and extrahepatic targeted delivery platform, with AstraZeneca holding options to license each resulting preclinical candidate for global or ex-China development. Under the financial terms, CSPC is eligible to receive up to USD 540 million in development milestones and up to USD 1.2 billion in sales-based milestones, plus single-digit royalties on annual net sales. For one of the two programs, CSPC retains China commercialization rights; AstraZeneca holds the option to take global rights on the other. The specific targets and any option exercise fees were not disclosed. ### Deal context The extrahepatic targeted delivery platform is the primary technical value driver in this partnership. Most approved siRNA drugs — including those from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals — rely on GalNAc conjugation to direct molecules to hepatocytes via the asialoglycoprotein receptor. Delivering siRNA to kidney tissue requires distinct delivery chemistry capable of overcoming renal clearance and tubular cell barriers, a problem that remains largely unsolved at commercial scale. CSPC's platform is described by the company as combining an AI-driven molecular design model with automated high-throughput screening to identify siRNA sequences with high activity and extrahepatic targeting potential. This deal is the third between AstraZeneca and CSPC in less than 24 months, the two firms building an increasingly systematic partnership across modalities. In January 2026, the two companies [signed an USD 18.5 billion obesity and metabolic disease alliance](https://app.allsci.com/news/ASC-NR-0000000576898-1.0-1774444659?query=cspc%20astrazeneca) covering eight drug programs and CSPC's LiquidGel sustained-release platform, with AstraZeneca paying USD 1.2 billion upfront. That followed their [June 2025 collaboration ](https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2025/astrazeneca-enters-into-collaboration-with-cspc.html)for CSPC to carry out AI-enabled discovery of novel oral candidates against multiple chronic disease targets, for USD 110 million upfront and up to USD 5.3 billion in potential downstream biobuck commitments. The deal arrives five months after GSK [licensed two early-stage siRNA candidates targeting inflammatory kidney disease](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/frontier-bio-hands-gsk-sirna-kidney-disease-therapies-in-usd-1b-deal/) from China-based Frontier Biotechnologies in a deal valued at approximately USD 1 billion with USD 40 million upfront — a structurally comparable transaction. The recent concentration of large-pharma siRNA deals targeting kidney disease reflects that extrahepatic renal delivery has become a key target in RNA therapeutics sourcing. Having largely solved hepatic delivery through GalNAc chemistry, large pharma is now paying for early access to kidney-targeted platforms before clinical proof-of-concept is established. AstraZeneca's existing renal franchise, anchored by dapagliflozin (Farxiga) in chronic kidney disease, provides commercial rationale for adding a mechanistically distinct modality to that therapeutic area. *** This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed and edited by the AllSci editorial team Explore more at AllSci News: [https://allsci.com/news/](https://allsci.com/news/) --- Spot something wrong? [Report an issue with this article](https://newsgen-prod.reframedata.com/feedback/astrazeneca-cspc-sirna-renal-disease-cspcs)