GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) agreed to pay $500 million upfront for rights to a clinical-stage COPD drug, HRS-9821, from Chinese pharmaceutical company Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. The transaction is part of a broader $12 billion biobucks deal covering 12 programs across immunology, oncology, and respiratory therapies. GSK aims to broaden its COPD portfolio, complementing recent successes like Nucala approval, with aspirations to serve patients unresponsive to current treatments. The deal highlights the rising trend of Western pharma partnering with Chinese firms to accelerate pipeline growth.