Hanmi's Oral Delivery Platform Compound Licensed to Gilead

Hanmi and HHP will grant Gilead an exclusive license to Encequidar and provide access to drug supply.

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hanmi Pharm announced on September 29 that it has entered into a global licensing and collaboration agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. ("Gilead") and Health Hope Pharma ("HHP") granting Gilead the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize encequidar.

Orascovery™ is an innovative oral drug delivery proprietary platform owned by Hanmi that enables the conversion of injectable medicines into oral formulations. Encequidar is a P-gp inhibitor that was discovered through Hanmi's Orascovery™ platform and originally developed by Hanmi.

Under this agreement, Hanmi and HHP will grant Gilead exclusive global rights to Encequidar within the field of virology. Hanmi and HHP will also provide drug supply, share technical know-how, and participate as key project partners. Hanmi and HHP will each receive an upfront payment and remain eligible for development, regulatory and sales milestones in addition to low single digit royalties on net sales.

Dr. Dennis Lam, founder of HHP said: "We are pleased to announce the licensing agreement with Gilead and Hanmi. This demonstrates the potential of Encequidar as a first-in-class P-gp inhibitor to create more oral formulations in multiple fields. This agreement is also a milestone of successful innovation for both the Hong Kong biotech industry and HHP as a biotech company headquartered in Hong Kong. We will build on this momentum to accelerate HHP's development of Oraxol and explore other applications of Encequidar in oral formulations."

Jae-Hyun Park, CEO of Hanmi Pharm, said: "This agreement validates Hanmi's formulation technology and R&D capabilities, while also opening the door to new growth opportunities through collaboration with a leading global partner. We will continue to expand strategic partnerships that can accelerate innovation and patient access worldwide."

Hanmi originally out-licensed Encequidar along with the oral anticancer drug Oraxol to Athenex in 2011. However, following Athenex's insolvency, rights were transferred to HHP and others. HHP is currently conducting clinical trials of Oraxol in the U.S., Hong Kong SAR, and New Zealand since June 2025, with plans to sequentially launch the product in Europe, Asia, and the U.S.

Contact info:

Official Websites: www.hanmipharm.com
Official LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hanmipharm

innovation@hanmi.co.kr,
+08-2-410-0467

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