Aligos Therapeutics Enters into Exclusive License Deal with Xiamen Amoytop Biotech Co., Ltd. to Develop and Commercialize Pevifoscorvir Sodium in Greater China for Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection
Rhea-AI Summary
Aligos Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ALGS) entered an exclusive license with Xiamen Amoytop to develop and commercialize pevifoscorvir sodium in Greater China for chronic HBV. Aligos will receive a $25M upfront, up to $420M in milestones, plus tiered high single-digit royalties.
Amoytop will fund development in the region; Aligos retains rights outside Greater China and expects current cash runway to extend into Q4 2026.
Positive
- Upfront payment of $25M
- Up to $420M in clinical, regulatory, and sales milestones
- Tiered, high single-digit royalties on net sales
- Amoytop funds development in Greater China
- Aligos retains ex-Greater China global rights to pevifoscorvir sodium
- Expected cash runway extended into Q4 2026
Negative
- Transaction closing is conditional on Amoytop shareholder approval within ~30 days
- License grants Greater China rights, limiting Aligos’ direct commercial upside in that market
- Cash runway extended only to Q4 2026, indicating near-term funding sensitivity
News Market Reaction – ALGS
In the Apr 16 session, ALGS gained 3.23%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +30.9% during that session. Argus tracked a trough of -28.0% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 20 alerts that day, indicating elevated trading interest and price volatility. Trading volume was exceptionally heavy at 6.5x the daily average, suggesting very strong buying interest.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14 | Phase 2 interim data | Positive | -15.1% | Interim B-SUPREME results and FDA Fast Track for pevifoscorvir sodium. |
| Mar 05 | Earnings and pipeline | Positive | -2.9% | Q4/FY2025 results, HBV trial progress, and cash runway disclosure. |
| Feb 26 | Earnings date notice | Neutral | +8.1% | Scheduling announcement for Q4 2025 financial results release. |
| Feb 23 | Conference data | Positive | +2.1% | Positive HBV and PK data presented at CROI for pipeline programs. |
| Jan 30 | Inducement grants | Neutral | -0.6% | Equity inducement option grants to newly hired employees. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent positive clinical and financial updates have sometimes coincided with negative price reactions, indicating a pattern of divergence between news tone and near-term trading.
Over the last few months, Aligos has reported several key milestones tied to its HBV program and finances. On Apr 14, 2026, interim Phase 2 B-SUPREME results and FDA Fast Track Designation for pevifoscorvir sodium were followed by a -15.1% move. Q4 and full-year 2025 results on Mar 5, 2026 highlighted $77.8M in cash and narrowed losses, yet shares fell 2.92%. Earlier, positive CROI data and routine corporate updates produced smaller, mixed reactions. Today’s licensing deal fits into this ongoing HBV-focused development trajectory with partner Amoytop already referenced historically.
Key Terms
antisense oligonucleotide medical
pegylated interferon medical
capsid assembly modulator medical
cccDNA medical
nucleoside analog medical
tenofovir disoproxil fumarate medical
phase 2 medical
royalties financial
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
- Aligos to receive an upfront payment of
$25M USD - Up to
$420M USD in clinical, regulatory, and sales milestones along with tiered, high single-digit royalties - Amoytop to fund its development program in Greater China
- Amoytop is a leading Chinese pharmaceutical company with commercially approved therapeutics, including PEGBING®, to treat chronic HBV infection
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGS, “Aligos”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapeutics to address unmet medical needs in liver and viral diseases, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement to develop and commercialize pevifoscorvir sodium with Xiamen Amoytop Biotech Co., Ltd. (“Amoytop”) in Greater China, which includes Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
Under the terms of the agreement, Aligos will receive an upfront milestone of
“We are pleased to build on our established relationship with Amoytop, a trusted partner through our preclinical antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) program, ALG-170675, for chronic HBV infection,” said Lawrence Blatt, Ph.D., MBA, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Aligos Therapeutics. “As the leading provider of pegylated interferon for chronic HBV infection in Mainland China, Amoytop is well positioned to commercialize pevifoscorvir sodium across the licensed territories. With a robust commercial organization comprised of sales representatives focused on the hepatology field, Amoytop has the scale and expertise to support broad adoption. Amoytop’s strong reach in the Mainland China hepatology market is expected to accelerate the development of pevifoscorvir sodium for chronic HBV suppression compared to Aligos developing in the region. Additionally, we believe that combining pevifoscorvir sodium with Amoytop’s drug PEGBING®, along with our ongoing ASO collaboration, will enable differentiated combination regimens and more personalized treatment approaches for patients with chronic HBV infection across Greater China. Aligos currently intends to pursue similar strategies, along with the chronic suppression pathway for monotherapy, in the United States, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and other global markets.”
Pevifoscorvir sodium is a potential first and best-in-class capsid assembly modulator (CAM-E) under development for chronic HBV infection, a novel drug designed to improve clinical outcomes by affecting the entire HBV lifecycle. Through its dual mechanisms of action, pevifoscorvir sodium not only has the potential to block HBV replication and prevent HBV DNA integration, but also reduce the cccDNA reservoir, all clinically relevant markers that improve outcomes in chronic HBV infection. Pevifoscorvir sodium is currently being evaluated in the Phase 2 B-SUPREME study (NCT06963710) compared to the nucleoside analog, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), with the second interim analysis expected in the second half of 2026 and topline data planned for 2027.
“Aligos is at the forefront of HBV innovation, and we are pleased to deepen our partnership with this outstanding team,” said Sun Li, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Amoytop. “We believe pevifoscorvir sodium has the potential to transform chronic HBV suppression, and we are proud to license this important program for Greater China. As we continue to build our portfolio—including the Aligos-partnered ASO and approved PEGBING® therapy—we look forward to exploring combination approaches that deliver meaningful benefits to patients across the region.”
The closing of this transaction is conditional and automatically effective upon Amoytop receiving approval at a Shareholders’ Meeting, which is anticipated within 30 days.
About pevifoscorvir sodium
Pevifoscorvir sodium (formerly known as ALG-000184) was derived from initial IP licensed from the laboratory of Dr. Raymond Schinazi at Emory University, which was further optimized by Aligos. Pevifoscorvir sodium is a potent potential best/first-in-class oral small molecule capsid assembly modulator (CAM-E) being developed for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Phase 1 studies have demonstrated after single and multiple daily doses that pevifoscorvir sodium was well-tolerated by study participants, with no safety signals observed, and demonstrated linear PK and promising antiviral activity. In longer term Phase 1 studies, pevifoscorvir sodium 300mg QD for 96 weeks monotherapy has demonstrated potent viral suppression in HBV DNA and RNA and substantial reductions in HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBcrAg. Pevifoscorvir sodium has a regulatory path, as acknowledged by the FDA, EMA, and NMPA (China), for subsequent studies utilizing the chronic suppressive pathway.
About Aligos
Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALGS) is a clinical stage biotechnology company founded with the mission to improve patient outcomes by developing best-in-class therapies for the treatment of liver and viral diseases. Aligos applies its science driven approach and deep R&D expertise to advance its purpose-built pipeline of therapeutics for high unmet medical needs such as chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), obesity, and coronaviruses.
For more information, please visit www.aligos.com or follow us on LinkedIn or X.
About Xiamen Amoytop Biotech Co., Ltd.
Xiamen Amoytop Biotech Co., Ltd. is an innovative biopharmaceutical company and a listed company on the Science and Technology Innovation Board (SSE STAR Market) in China, specializing in R&D, manufacturing and marketing of regular and long-acting recombinant protein drugs. Focusing on the R&D of immune-related cytokine medicines, Amoytop is committed to becoming a leader in solving cytokine medicine-based systemic immune problems, providing better solutions for major diseases (such as viral hepatitis, malignant tumors) and immunotherapy.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be considered “forward-looking statements,” including without limitation, statements regarding potential financial milestones being met and future royalties being earned by Aligos under the Amoytop license; timing of transaction closing; timing of a meeting of shareholders of Amoytop and potential approval; Aligos’ expectation of Amoytop’s ability to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for, and commercialize pevifoscorvir sodium in Greater China; Aligos’ financial results and performance, including cash runway; and Aligos’ research and development activities, including regulatory status and the timing of announcements and updates relating to our regulatory filings and clinical trials. Such forward looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our development programs, future results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks that Amoytop does not approve the transaction or that the transaction does not close for any other reason, risks and uncertainties inherent in the drug development process, including Aligos’ clinical-stage of development, the process of designing and conducting clinical trials, the regulatory approval processes, risks related to Amoytop's ability to maintain its commercial organization and market position in Greater China; regulatory and geopolitical risks in the licensed territories, including actions by the NMPA, risks that combination regimens may not demonstrate favorable safety, efficacy, or regulatory profiles, risks from competing therapies, risks related to intellectual property protection in Greater China, risks related to foreign currency fluctuations and cross-border payment constraints, and other matters that could affect the sufficiency of Aligos’ capital resources to fund operations. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Aligos in general, see Aligos’ Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 5, 2026 and its future periodic reports to be filed or submitted with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Aligos undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Investor Contact
Aligos Therapeutics, Inc.
Jordyn Tarazi
Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
+1 (650) 910-0427
jtarazi@aligos.com
Media Contact
Inizio Evoke
Jake Robison
Vice President
Jake.Robison@inizioevoke.com
Xiamen Amoytop Biotech Co., Ltd.
Investor Contact
Liu Peiyu
联系电话：86592-6889118
邮箱：ir@amoytop.com
Media Contact
Wu Xueyan
联系电话：86592-6889127
邮箱：wxy@amoytop.com
