Innovent Partners with Lilly to Develop New Medicines Globally

The strategic collaboration will focus on advancing 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 novel medicines in oncology and immunology. The agreement grants Lilly an exclusive license to develop and commercialize the programs worldwide outside Greater China, while Innovent retains rights in Greater China. Under the terms, 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.

Why it matters

This collaboration marks the seventh between Innovent and Lilly, deepening a longstanding partnership to deliver new treatments for patients globally. The unique structure establishes a new model for Innovent to accelerate the global development of its innovative pipeline, leveraging Lilly's extensive scale and expertise.

The details

Under the collaboration, Innovent will lead the development of programs from concept through clinical proof-of-concept in China, drawing on its robust antibody technology platforms and efficient clinical execution. Lilly will then have the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the programs worldwide outside Greater China, while Innovent retains rights in Greater China.

  • 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 to develop new medicines.

Dr. Michael Yu

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 Biologics (PRNewswire)

What’s next

The collaboration will focus on accelerating the global development of Innovent's innovative pipeline, with Innovent leading the programs through clinical proof-of-concept in China and Lilly having exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the programs worldwide outside Greater China.

The takeaway

This strategic partnership between Innovent and Lilly demonstrates the companies' commitment to advancing novel treatments for cancer and immune disorders globally, leveraging their complementary strengths to bring new medicines to patients worldwide.