Zelgen signed an exclusive marketing service agreement for injectable recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone
I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Zelgen Pharmaceuticals has signed an exclusive marketing service agreement with ATSA, a subsidiary of Merck KGaA in Germany, authorizing ATSA to promote recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone for injection in mainland China. The total amount of the agreement can reach up to 250 million yuan, with ATSA paying a 50 million yuan advance payment within 30 working days after the agreement takes effect, and an additional 200 million yuan after the first indication is approved. This product is a biologic independently developed by the company, aimed at accelerating the commercialization process and meeting clinical needs
According to the Zhitong Finance APP, Zelgen (688266.SH) announced that on June 5, 2025, the company signed a "Service Agreement" with Ares Trading S.A. (referred to as "ATSA"), a Swiss subsidiary of Merck KGaA in Germany. The company agrees to authorize ATSA as the exclusive market promotion service provider for recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone for injection in mainland China.
Under the terms of the agreement, the company will receive a total authorized payment of up to RMB 250 million, of which ATSA will pay the company an initial advance payment of RMB 50 million within 30 working days from the effective date of the agreement, and a second payment of RMB 200 million after the first indication of the target product is approved. The company will pay ATSA a market promotion service fee based on a double-digit percentage of net sales according to the agreement.
Regarding the target product of the agreement, recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone (rhTSH) is a biopharmaceutical independently developed by the company and belongs to therapeutic biological products. Endogenous thyroid-stimulating hormone in the human body is a member of the glycoprotein hormone family, primarily expressed and secreted by the pituitary gland into the bloodstream, and binds to the hTSHR protein expressed on the surface of thyroid cells and well-differentiated thyroid cancer cells, stimulating iodine uptake and organification, as well as the synthesis and release of thyroglobulin (Tg), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4). The amino acid sequence of rhTSH is identical to that of natural human TSH. The effect of rhTSH on thyroid cells is to increase the uptake of radioactive iodine, which can be used to scan or kill thyroid cancer cells with radioactive iodine. Activation of rhTSH can also lead to the release of thyroglobulin from thyroid cells, which is a tumor marker for thyroid cancer in blood specimens.
It is reported that the signing of this agreement aims to accelerate the commercialization of the target product after its market launch, providing more treatment options for clinical needs