Gilead Sciences has added another synthetic lethal asset to its oncology portfolio, agreeing to pay $80 million upfront to obtain global rights to a clinic-ready cancer therapy from China-based Genhouse Bio.
Headquartered in Suzhou, Genhouse Bio has been advancing its MAT2A-targetting synthetic lethal therapy, known as GH31, across multiple tumor types. The company has already received regulatory clearance in both China and the United States to move GH31 into clinical trials, positioning the program for further development.
Under the terms of the oncology deal, Genhouse will receive the $80 million upfront payment and could earn up to $1.45 billion in milestone payments. The oncology deal also includes royalties calculated as tiered double-digit percentages on net sales. Genhouse initially disclosed the transaction in a post on Chinese social media platform WeChat on Friday. Gilead subsequently confirmed the arrangement in comments shared with Fierce.
Jackson Egen, Ph.D., senior vice president of oncology research at Gilead, said acquiring GH31 reflected the pharma’s “disciplined approach to expanding Gilead’s oncology pipeline through innovative science and strong partnerships.”
Genhouse CEO Kuifeng Wang, Ph.D., described Gilead as “ideally suited” to maximize GH31’s “global potential for patients.”
“This transaction represents a significant value-realization milestone for Genhouse and highlights the global attractiveness of our synthetic lethality innovation,” the CEO added. “With IND clearance in hand, GH31 is well positioned for rapid clinical advancement.”
Beyond MAT2A, Genhouse’s broader pipeline spans both clinical and preclinical tumor therapies. These include programs targeting PRMT5i, DHX9i and HDAC6i, underscoring the company’s continued focus on oncology research.
The GH31 agreement follows another recent synthetic lethal transaction by Gilead. At the end of December, the company paid $25 million upfront to secure rights to Repare Therapeutics’ polymerase theta ATPase inhibitor, further strengthening its cancer pipeline.
The company’s appetite for oncology assets aligns with remarks made by Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day during the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference last month. Speaking to journalists, he said the company is approaching dealmaking from a “position of strength” in 2026.
“We hold the bar very high scientifically,” the CEO explained at a media event on the sidelines of the conference. “We have the financial ability to bring in important medicines in the organization, but they’ve got to fit our strategy, and they have to really have a significant patient impact.”
On oncology, identified as one of Gilead’s three priority areas, the company’s chief medical officer Dietmar Berger, M.D., Ph.D., stated at the same event that he aimed to “drive that a little more into direct tumor cell targeting,” while leveraging Gilead’s antibody-drug conjugate platform and its relationship with cell therapy subsidiary Kite Pharma.
