Sentivera Secures $1.5B Deal for Haisco’s Type 2 Inflammation Candidate

Key points

• Sentivera was incorporated in Delaware just 12 days after Pfizer closed its acquisition of Metsera, a previous venture by the same investors.
• Haisco Pharmaceutical will receive $40 million in cash and $35.9 million in equity, totaling $75.9 million, plus up to $1.46 billion in milestones and royalties.
• The drug candidate is a small molecule targeting Type 2 inflammation, a mechanism shared by conditions like asthma and eczema.
• Haisco retains rights to the drug in Greater China, while Sentivera holds global rights for all other regions.
• The candidate received Investigational New Drug status in China in August 2026 and showed favorable preclinical safety profiles.

Background

This deal follows the 2025 acquisition of Metsera by Pfizer, a company also backed by ARCH and Population Health Partners. Metsera had previously been the subject of a bidding war with Novo Nordisk and raised $290 million in 2024. Haisco has been active in licensing deals this year, including a $3 billion collaboration with Eli Lilly and a $1.4 billion deal with Nuvectis.

How outlets are covering it

Fierce Biotech emphasizes the rapid succession of the Sentivera launch following the Metsera sale, highlighting the investors' strategy to replicate success. BioSpace focuses on the financial structure, noting Haisco’s equity stake and the potential for $1.46 billion in backend payments. Investing.com frames the transaction as a partnership rather than a traditional license-out, aligning with Haisco’s international expansion strategy. Endpoints News notes the deal as part of a broader trend of Chinese biotech firms partnering with US venture capital, though its full text was behind a paywall.

Why it matters

The deal signals continued aggressive expansion by US venture firms into Chinese biotech assets, particularly in immunology. It also highlights Haisco’s strategy of leveraging preclinical assets for global partnerships while retaining local rights, a model that could influence future cross-border biotech transactions.

What to watch

Sentivera will likely advance the drug candidate through clinical trials outside China, while Haisco continues development in Greater China. The outcome will depend on the candidate’s success in early-stage trials and the ability to meet development and regulatory milestones.