AstraZeneca signs US$ 5B AI R&D deal with China’s CSPC

CHINA – AstraZeneca is deepening its roots in China through a major US$ 5 billion research partnership with CSPC Pharmaceuticals.

This collaboration aims to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the discovery and development of new oral medicines that can treat a range of chronic illnesses, including immune-related conditions.

This deal follows a previous agreement signed in October 2023, in which AstraZeneca committed up to US$ 2 billion to co-develop a CSPC candidate aimed at lowering harmful lipoprotein(a) levels, a known risk factor for heart disease.

Under the new pact, CSPC will lead the research from its base in Shijiazhuang City using its advanced AI drug discovery platform.

This technology analyzes how potential drugs bind to disease targets and refines those compounds for better effectiveness.

AstraZeneca will have the option to license and globally commercialize any promising drug candidates that result from the research.

As part of the agreement, AstraZeneca will pay CSPC an initial US$ 110 million. CSPC could also receive up to US$ 1.62 billion in development milestones and as much as US$ 3.6 billion more if sales targets are met. Additionally, CSPC stands to earn royalties from future product sales.

This collaboration is part of AstraZeneca’s broader strategy to expand its footprint in China, one of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical markets globally.

AstraZeneca has remained committed to China despite investigations into the conduct of some current and former company employees in the country. 

In March 2025, the British drugmaker announced a US$ 2.5 billion investment to build a new research and development hub in Beijing.

It has also recently signed other multi-billion-dollar deals with Chinese biotech firms, including Harbour BioMed and Syneron Bio.

Both AstraZeneca and CSPC have extensive and diverse pipelines in fields like oncology and cardiology.

However, CSPC continues to rely heavily on its finished drug segment for revenue. The company has also indicated that it is in talks with other partners for more licensing and collaboration opportunities.