AstraZeneca expanded its China partnership with CSPC Pharmaceutical through a kidney disease discovery pact totaling up to $1.7 billion. The report says AstraZeneca will pay a $30 million upfront and jointly discover and develop two kidney disease drug candidates with CSPC. The deal underscores how AstraZeneca is continuing to build out its external R&D engine in China following earlier collaboration steps with the same partner. For kidney-focused portfolios, such agreements can shorten candidate generation timelines and diversify development pipelines. The size and structure of the pact also indicate AstraZeneca’s willingness to commit capital for multiple discovery-to-development stages, with additional economics expected to hinge on downstream milestones.