Roche licenses tri-specific antibody from Simcere for blood cancer

Swiss drugmaker Roche has signed a global licensing agreement with Chinese drugmaker Simcere Pharmaceutical Group for SIM0660, an experimental preclinical tri-specific antibody targeting B-cell malignancies. Under the agreement, Roche will pay $75 million upfront and up to $1.46 billion in milestone payments. Roche secures exclusive global rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize the drug, while Simcere disclosed the deal in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing on September 1, 2026.

Roche-Simcere licensing agreement

• ▪Swiss drugmaker Roche signed a global licensing agreement with Chinese drugmaker Simcere Pharmaceutical Group for an experimental blood cancer drug
• ▪Simcere Pharmaceutical Group announced the licensing agreement with Roche in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on September 1, 2026

SIM0660 tri-specific antibody

• ▪The licensed drug, SIM0660, is an experimental preclinical tri-specific antibody product developed by Simcere Pharmaceutical Group
• ▪A spokesperson for Simcere Pharmaceutical Group confirmed to Reuters on September 1, 2026, that SIM0660 is currently a preclinical product

Upfront payment terms

• ▪Roche will pay an upfront fee of $75 million to Simcere Pharmaceutical Group for the rights to the experimental drug SIM0660
• ▪Simcere Pharmaceutical Group disclosed the $75 million upfront payment from Roche in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on September 1, 2026

Milestone payment structure

• ▪The milestone payments of up to $1.46 billion are in addition to the upfront payment for the experimental drug SIM0660
• ▪Simcere Pharmaceutical Group is eligible to receive up to approximately $1.46 billion in payments for unspecified milestones from Roche

B-cell malignancy treatment

• ▪The experimental drug SIM0660 targets B-cell malignancies, which affect B cells, a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies
• ▪Roche did not immediately comment on September 1, 2026, regarding the specific diseases it intends to study using SIM0660 or potential clinical trial timelines

Global development rights

• ▪The exclusive global rights granted to Roche also cover the manufacturing and commercialization of the experimental drug SIM0660
• ▪Roche will receive exclusive global rights to develop the experimental blood cancer drug SIM0660

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