Asian Tech Press (Nov 7) -- Chinese drugmaker SciClone (6600.HK) announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with Italian pharmaceutical company Menarini Group to introduce its breast cancer therapy Orserdu to China.

SciClone Pharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd said in a statement that it has entered into a license and collaboration agreement with BerlinChemie AG, a subsidiary of Menarini, for the exclusive development and commercialization of ORSERDU® (elacestrant) in China.

Orserdu is the first and only therapy specifically indicated for the treatment of ER+, HER2- tumors that harbor ESR1 mutations, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in January 2023, followed by approval in September 2023 by the European Commission.

The Chinese drugmaker said the deal aims to bring the innovative treatment to China, subject to regulatory approval in the country.

Under the license agreement, SciClone will utilize its development capabilities to conduct clinical trials and its sales, marketing and regulatory expertise to distribute Orserdu upon approval in China.

SciClone will make an upfront payment to Menarini in cash and additional payments upon the achievement of various regulatory and sales milestones. And Menarini will also receive tiered royalties based on net sales of Orserdu in China.