Record Surge in Drug Licensing Deals from China
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 19 2026
0mins
Source: seekingalpha
- Surge in Deal Count: According to PharmCube, the Greater China region signed 186 cross-border licensing deals worth $137.7B in 2025, marking a nearly tenfold increase from 65 deals valued at $13.9B in 2021, highlighting the growing appeal of the Chinese market for global pharmaceutical companies.
- Industry Trend Analysis: As several blockbuster drugs face patent expirations, leading drugmakers increasingly rely on licensing deals to replenish their pipelines, with projections indicating a potential $200B revenue loss for the global pharmaceutical industry from 2026 to 2030, making China a crucial licensing market.
- Expansion of Deal Size: The average deal size in 2026 stands at $1.3B, reflecting a ~76% increase from 2025 and approximately six times the average size in 2021, driven by AstraZeneca's obesity drug deal worth up to $18.5B with CSPC Pharmaceutical and AbbVie's cancer drug deal worth up to $5.6B with RemeGen.
- Ongoing Attraction: So far in 2026, 38 deals have been reached with a total value approaching $49B, demonstrating the sustained interest of international pharmaceutical companies in the Chinese market, particularly under the pressure of patent expirations.
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Analyst Views on ABBV
Wall Street analysts forecast ABBV stock price to rise
18 Analyst Rating
12 Buy
6 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 233.860
Low
223.00
Averages
252.00
High
289.00
Current: 233.860
Low
223.00
Averages
252.00
High
289.00
About ABBV
AbbVie Inc. is a global, diversified research-based biopharmaceutical company. It is engaged in research and development, manufacturing, commercialization and sale of medicines and therapies. Its product portfolio includes Immunology, Oncology, Aesthetics, Neuroscience, Eye Care and Other Key Products. Immunology products include rheumatology, dermatology and gastroenterology. Oncology products include Imbruvica, Venclexta/Venclyxto, Elahere and Epkinly. Aesthetics portfolio consists of facial injectables, plastics and regenerative medicine, body contouring, and skincare products. Its Neuroscience products include Botox Therapeutic, Vraylar, Duopa and Duodopa, Ubrelvy, and Qulipta. Eye Care products include Ozurdex, Lumigan/Ganfort, Alphagan/Combigan, Restasis, and other eye care. Other key products include Mavyret/Maviret, Creon, and Linzess/Constella. Its investigational candidate, bretisilocin, is for the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder (MDD).
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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