AbbVie has agreed to pay $30 million upfront to Haisco Pharmaceutical Group for ex-China rights to two non-opioid pain treatment candidates.
The deal includes $10 million in near-term milestones and up to $705 million in additional milestone payments. It grants AbbVie rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize two NaV1.8 inhibitor assets outside Greater China, according to an April 13 filing (Chinese).
Haisco, which is based in Beijing, China, will also be eligible for tiered royalties in the high-single-digit percentages on future net sales.
AbbVie will fund certain R&D costs to support development of the drugs through clinical proof of concept, according to the agreement. The licensed assets, HSK55718 and HSK51155, are designed to block the NaV1.8 sodium channel—a key component of a pathway primarily found in pain-sensing nerve cells that transmit pain signals to the brain.
By targeting this channel, the drugs aim to reduce pain at its source and limit abnormal nerve firing. Compared with opioids, they are intended to offer greater precision while avoiding addiction risks.
Founded in 2000, Haisco develops therapies across cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric, oncology, liver disease, and endocrine indications, according to its website.
HSK55718 is an intravenous formulation currently in phase 1 clinical trials in China, while HSK51155 is an oral candidate in the preclinical stage. The filing states that the deal aligns with Haisco’s strategy of international expansion and innovation-driven growth.
AbbVie will be looking to join Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the NaV1.8 inhibitor market. Vertex’s first-in-class oral medication Journavx targets NaV1.8 and was approved in early 2025. Journavx generated $59.6 million in revenue last year, according to Vertex.
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Despite the Journavx success, Vertex’s next-gen Nav1.8 inhibitor failed to outperform placebo in a Phase II trial last year, causing Vertex to drop the pain prospect. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly has also shown interest in the space, acquiring a NaV1.8 inhibitor as part of its deal to buy SiteOne Therapeutics for up to $1 billion.
The AbbVie deal will add to Haisco’s dealmaking total for 2026 after it licensed a clinical-stage lung disease asset to Frazier Life Sciences’ AirNexis Therapeutics for $955 million biobucks in January.
