AbbVie has agreed a licensing deal with China's Haisco Pharmaceutical Group worth up to $715 million (€661 million), granting the US pharmaceutical giant rights to multiple pain-related compounds ranging from preclinical to Phase 1 testing, marking the company's first foray into new pain medicines, according to Biospace.

The deal positions AbbVie to compete in a rapidly evolving non-opioid pain treatment space currently led by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, whose NaV1.8 inhibitor Journavx received approval last year, ushering in a new class of pain signal inhibitor medicines that specifically target the NaV1.8 voltage-gated sodium channel responsible for generating and transmitting pain signals throughout the body.

AbbVie and Haisco did not specify which pain indications will be pursued through the partnership. Haisco has previously presented preclinical data on NaV1.8 inhibitors and also carries analgesic and non-controlled opioid assets in its pipeline, offering AbbVie a range of potential therapeutic directions to explore.

Haisco credited AbbVie's neuroscience expertise as a key strength of the new partnership. AbbVie's existing portfolio includes migraine medicines Ubrelvy and Qulipta, as well as Vraylar, approved for bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, while earlier-stage programmes target schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and spinal cord injury.

Eli Lilly is also active in the non-opioid pain space, having acquired SiteOne Therapeutics in May 2025 for up to $1 billion for a pipeline that includes a NaV1.8 inhibitor, underscoring the intensifying race among major pharmaceutical companies to develop alternatives to traditional opioid-based pain management.

The Haisco deal adds to AbbVie's broader neuroscience expansion, which has included a $1.2 billion acquisition of Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals and the earlier $8.7 billion purchase of Cerevel Therapeutics.

Access the full details for comprehensive details on the AbbVie and Haisco licensing agreement.