Innovent and Lilly Announce Strategic Collaboration for New Medicines

The partnership aims to accelerate global development of novel treatments in oncology and immunology.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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Innovent Biologics, a leading biopharmaceutical company, has announced a strategic collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company to advance new medicines in oncology and immunology globally. Under the agreement, Innovent will lead the development of programs from concept through clinical proof-of-concept in China, while Lilly will have exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the programs worldwide outside of Greater China. The collaboration marks the seventh between the two companies and establishes a new model for Innovent to accelerate the global development of its innovative pipeline.

Why it matters

This collaboration allows Innovent to leverage Lilly's extensive global scale and expertise, while retaining rights in Greater China, creating a highly efficient model for cross-border synergy. The partnership validates Innovent's R&D capabilities and enables the company to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into impactful global medical solutions.

The details

Under the terms of the agreement, Innovent will receive a $350 million upfront payment and is eligible for up to $8.5 billion in future development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments. Innovent will also be eligible for tiered royalties on net sales of each product outside of Greater China. The unique structure of the collaboration establishes a new model for Innovent to accelerate the global development of its innovative pipeline.

  • The collaboration was announced on February 8, 2026.

The players

Innovent Biologics, Inc.

A world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes high-quality medicines for the treatment of oncologic, autoimmune, cardiovascular and metabolic, ophthalmologic, and other major diseases.

Eli Lilly and Company

A global pharmaceutical company that has partnered with Innovent for over 10 years and will now have exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the programs worldwide outside of Greater China.

Dr. Michael Yu

The Founder, Chairman of the Board, and CEO of Innovent Biologics.

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What they’re saying

“We're delighted to partner with Lilly, our trusted global pharmaceutical partner for over 10 years, to pursue novel medicines to improve treatment outcomes for patients with cancer and immune disorders.”

— Dr. Michael Yu, Founder, Chairman of the Board, and CEO of Innovent (PRNewswire)

What’s next

The collaboration will focus on accelerating the global development of novel medicines in oncology and immunology, with Innovent leading the development of programs from concept through clinical proof-of-concept in China, and Lilly having exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the programs worldwide outside of Greater China.

The takeaway

This strategic collaboration between Innovent and Lilly creates a new model for accelerating the global development of innovative medicines, combining Innovent's agile discovery and early-stage development capabilities with Lilly's extensive global scale and expertise. The partnership validates Innovent's R&D capabilities and enables the company to bring its scientific discoveries to patients worldwide.