Lisata Therapeutics regained exclusive rights to its lead investigational product, Certepetide, in Greater China after terminating its exclusive license and collaboration agreement with Qilu Pharmaceutical. The termination became effective on January 23 2026 and was announced on January 27 2026.
The agreement, originally granted in February 2021 and assumed by Lisata when it acquired CEND Therapeutics in 2022, had given Qilu exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Certepetide in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. With the termination, Lisata now controls all intellectual‑property rights and can pursue its own commercialization strategy in the region.
Qilu will continue to run and eventually wind down its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT06261359) of Certepetide combined with standard‑of‑care chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer. Lisata will negotiate with Qilu for licensing of any data generated from the trial, which could support future regulatory submissions and commercial plans.
The termination removes a potential source of up to $200 million in milestone payments and 10‑15 % royalties on sales in Greater China. However, it also eliminates the need to share revenue and allows Lisata to streamline its regulatory and commercial timelines in a key oncology market. Management emphasized appreciation for Qilu’s collaboration and highlighted the strategic benefit of regaining full control.
Lisata’s cash and investments stood at $19 million as of September 30, 2025, and the company expects its capital to fund operations into the first quarter of 2027. The decision to terminate the agreement aligns with Lisata’s broader strategy to accelerate development of Certepetide and expand its global commercialization footprint.
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