Lisata Therapeutics Announces Mutual Termination of License Agreement with Qilu Pharmaceutical for Certepetide

Rhea-AI Summary

Lisata Therapeutics (Nasdaq: LSTA) announced a mutual termination of its February 2021 Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement with Qilu Pharmaceutical, causing all licenses and rights for certepetide in the Greater China region to revert to Lisata.

The original agreement had granted Qilu exclusive development and commercialization rights in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan; those rights now return to Lisata following the termination. Qilu remains responsible for completing and winding down an ongoing Phase 2 clinical study (NCT06261359) of certepetide with chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Lisata will negotiate with Qilu about potential licensing of relevant trial data.

Positive

• Lisata regains full, exclusive Greater China rights to certepetide
• Reversion enables Lisata direct control over Greater China development strategy

Negative

• Qilu must complete and wind down the ongoing Phase 2 (NCT06261359) study
• Access to trial data is uncertain and requires negotiation with Qilu

News Market Reaction

+12.29%

20 alerts

+12.29% News Effect

+13.8% Peak in 2 hr 53 min

+$5M Valuation Impact

$43M Market Cap

1.2x Rel. Volume

On the day this news was published, LSTA gained 12.29%, reflecting a significant positive market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +13.8% during that session. Our momentum scanner triggered 20 alerts that day, indicating elevated trading interest and price volatility. This price movement added approximately $5M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $43M at that time.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

License agreement date: February 2021 Phase: Phase 2 Clinical trial ID: NCT06261359

3 metrics

License agreement date February 2021 Original Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement with Qilu

Phase Phase 2 Ongoing clinical study of certepetide in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Clinical trial ID NCT06261359 Qilu-sponsored Phase 2 study of certepetide plus chemotherapy

Market Reality Check

Price: $4.58 Vol: Volume 203,024 is 0.63x t...

low vol

$4.58 Last Close

Volume Volume 203,024 is 0.63x the 20-day average of 322,411, indicating subdued trading before this news. low

Technical Shares at $4.07 are trading above the 200-day MA of $2.40, near the 52-week high of $4.17.

Peers on Argus

Key biotech peers ELEV, HOTH, CRIS, CTXR and PMN all showed negative moves, simi...

Key biotech peers ELEV, HOTH, CRIS, CTXR and PMN all showed negative moves, similar in direction to LSTA’s -0.97% move, but no names appeared on the momentum scanner, suggesting stock-specific factors rather than a coordinated sector rotation.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jan 21 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 21	Acquisition term sheet	Positive	+86.6%	Binding term sheet for Kuva Labs all-cash tender offer plus CVRs.
Nov 06	Earnings and update	Positive	+0.4%	Q3 2025 results, cash runway into 2027, and positive clinical progress.
Nov 06	Industry award	Positive	+0.4%	BioTech Breakthrough award and strong pancreatic cancer efficacy data.
Nov 04	Preclinical data	Positive	-7.5%	Catalent preclinical ADC data showing improved penetration and efficacy.
Oct 30	Earnings preview	Neutral	+0.4%	Scheduling Q3 2025 results call and webcast details.

Pattern Detected

Recent news has generally produced aligned reactions, with a strong positive move on the Kuva Labs acquisition term sheet and mostly modest follow-through on operational updates, except for one divergence on positive preclinical data.

Recent Company History

Over the past few months, Lisata’s trajectory has centered on certepetide and strategic positioning. On Jan 21, 2026, a binding term sheet to be acquired by Kuva Labs at $4.00 per share plus two $1.00 CVRs drove an 86.57% move. Q3 2025 results on Nov 6, 2025 highlighted $19.0M cash and funding into the first quarter of 2027 alongside encouraging clinical data. Earlier in November, positive preclinical ADC data using certepetide and an industry award underscored the platform’s potential. Today’s reversion of Greater China rights fits into this ongoing certepetide-focused story.

Market Pulse Summary

The stock surged +12.3% in the session following this news. A strong positive reaction aligns with p...

Analysis

The stock surged +12.3% in the session following this news. A strong positive reaction aligns with prior market focus on certepetide and deal optionality. The Kuva Labs term sheet on Jan 21, 2026 triggered an 86.57% move when CVRs tied to Greater China rights were highlighted. Regaining full certepetide rights in this region could be seen as strategically important, but past divergence on positive preclinical data shows that optimism has not always translated into sustained gains.

Key Terms

exclusive license and collaboration agreement, iRGD cyclic peptide, phase 2 clinical study, standard-of-care chemotherapy, +4 more

8 terms

exclusive license and collaboration agreement financial

"mutually terminated the February 2021 Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement with Qilu"

An exclusive license and collaboration agreement is a legal deal where one party gives another sole rights to use, sell, or develop a technology or product while both parties work together on its development or commercialization. Think of it like renting a recipe exclusively and then jointly running the restaurant: the licensee gets exclusive market control, and the partners share the work, costs, and profits. Investors watch these deals because they can create steady royalty or milestone income, concentrate market opportunity, and shift development risk and expense between the parties.

iRGD cyclic peptide medical

"certepetide, Lisata's proprietary iRGD cyclic peptide product candidate"

A cyclic iRGD peptide is a small, ring-shaped protein fragment designed to guide therapies into tumors by first sticking to tumor-specific surface proteins and then briefly opening a pathway into the tumor mass. For investors, it matters because this kind of targeting can make cancer drugs work better at lower doses, potentially raising the value of therapies or delivery platforms that use it by improving efficacy, reducing side effects, and enabling partnerships or licensing deals.

phase 2 clinical study medical

"their ongoing Phase 2 clinical study (NCT06261359) evaluating certepetide"

A phase 2 clinical study is a mid-stage human test that checks whether a new drug or medical treatment works for the intended condition and further evaluates safety and dosing in a larger but still limited group of patients. For investors, phase 2 results are a key signal: positive findings make it more likely the treatment will progress toward larger, definitive trials and regulatory approval, while negative results can sharply reduce a drug’s commercial prospects, much like a prototype failing vital real-world tests.

standard-of-care chemotherapy medical

"certepetide in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy in metastatic"

The standard-of-care chemotherapy is the treatment or drug regimen that doctors currently use as the accepted, routine approach for a particular cancer because it has shown reliable benefits in clinical practice and trials. For investors, it acts like the market’s default product: new drugs are measured against it for regulatory approval, pricing, and adoption, so whether a competitor outperforms, complements, or fails against this benchmark can strongly influence a company’s prospects.

metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma medical

"standard-of-care chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma."

A late-stage form of pancreatic cancer that starts in the cells lining the pancreatic ducts and has spread to other organs, making it much harder to treat successfully. For investors, the condition matters because it creates urgent demand for effective drugs and diagnostics; trial results, regulatory approvals, or new treatment advances can rapidly change the commercial outlook for companies working in oncology, similar to a sudden shift in demand for a breakthrough product.

greater china region regulatory

"full development rights to certepetide in the Greater China Region"

Greater China region is the grouping of mainland China together with Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan used by investors to describe a shared economic and cultural market area; definitions sometimes vary but it generally captures where companies sell, manufacture or raise capital related to Chinese-speaking markets. It matters to investors because the region combines huge consumer and manufacturing capacity with different legal and regulatory rules across its parts, so thinking of it like a single neighborhood with several houses and different local rules helps assess revenue potential and political or legal risks.

clinical-stage medical

"a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies"

Clinical-stage describes a drug, therapy, or company whose product is being tested in human trials but has not yet received regulatory approval. For investors, it signals that the project has moved beyond lab work into real-world testing—meaning higher potential reward if trials succeed but also clear risks from trial setbacks, costs, and regulatory delay; think of it like a prototype car on public road tests that could either prove its value or reveal problems that stop it from reaching production.

license agreement financial

"mutually terminated the February 2021 Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement"

A license agreement is a contract where the owner of intellectual property, technology, a brand, or other rights gives another party permission to use those assets under specified conditions, usually for fees, royalties or other payments. For investors it matters because such deals create or limit predictable revenue streams, affect profit margins, transfer legal and commercial risk, and can determine how quickly a company can grow — like renting out a patented tool to earn steady income while keeping ownership.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Lisata regains full development rights to certepetide in the Greater China Region

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Jan. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lisata Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: LSTA) (“Lisata” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for the treatment of advanced solid tumors and other serious diseases, today announced that it has mutually terminated the February 2021 Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement with Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Qilu”). The original agreement, negotiated and implemented with CEND Therapeutics and assumed by Lisata as part of its acquisition of CEND Therapeutics in 2022, granted Qilu exclusive rights to develop and commercialize certepetide, Lisata's proprietary iRGD cyclic peptide product candidate, in the Greater China region including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. This action results in all licenses and other rights granted to Qilu reverting to Lisata.

“We appreciate the collaboration and the work performed by Qilu with certepetide over the past few years. As a result of this mutual termination, Lisata regains the full, exclusive rights to certepetide in the Greater China region,” stated David J. Mazzo, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lisata Therapeutics.

Notwithstanding, Qilu maintains its obligations, regulatorily or otherwise, to complete and wind down their ongoing Phase 2 clinical study (NCT06261359) evaluating certepetide in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Lisata has agreed to negotiate with Qilu the potential licensing of relevant study data from this trial, as appropriate.

About Certepetide

Certepetide (formerly LSTA1), an internalizing RGD (arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid or iRGD), cyclic peptide product candidate, is an investigational drug designed to activate a novel uptake pathway that allows co-administered or tethered anti-cancer drugs to target and penetrate solid tumors more effectively. Certepetide actuates this active transport system in a tumor-specific manner, resulting in systemically co-administered anti-cancer drugs more efficiently penetrating and accumulating in the tumor. Certepetide also has been shown to modify the tumor microenvironment resulting in tumors which are more susceptible to immunotherapies. Lisata and its collaborators have amassed significant clinical and non-clinical data demonstrating enhanced efficacy and acceptable safety of various existing and emerging anti-cancer therapies, including chemotherapies, immunotherapies, RNA-based therapeutics, and Antibody-Drug Conjugates in solid tumor models. To date, certepetide has also demonstrated favorable safety, tolerability, and clinical activity in completed and ongoing clinical trials designed to test its ability to enhance the effectiveness of standard-of-care chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. Lisata is exploring the potential of certepetide to enable a variety of treatment modalities to treat a range of solid tumors more effectively. Certepetide has been awarded Fast Track designation (U.S.) and Orphan Drug Designation for pancreatic cancer (U.S. and E.U.) as well as Orphan Drug Designation for glioma (U.S.) and osteosarcoma (U.S.). Additionally, certepetide has received Rare Pediatric Disease Designation for osteosarcoma (U.S.).

About Lisata Therapeutics

Lisata Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of advanced solid tumors and other major diseases. Lisata’s cyclic peptide product candidate, certepetide, is an investigational drug designed to activate a novel uptake pathway that allows co-administered or tethered anti-cancer drugs to selectively target and penetrate solid tumors more effectively. Lisata has already established noteworthy commercial and R&D partnerships based on its CendR Platform^® technology. The Company expects to announce numerous milestones over the next 1.5 years and believes that its projected capital will fund operations into the first quarter of 2027, encompassing anticipated data milestones from its ongoing clinical trials. For a comprehensive overview of certepetide's mechanism of action, please view our informative short film. For more information on the Company, please visit www.lisata.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this communication regarding the Company’s clinical development programs are forward-looking statements. In addition, when or if used in this communication, the words “may,” “could,” “should,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “predict” and similar expressions and their variants, as they relate to Lisata or its management, may identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the potential efficacy of certepetide as a treatment for patients with solid tumors; our beliefs about the potential uses and benefits of certepetide; our ability to secure a partner for the worldwide rights to certepetide or for rights in the Greater China region; the expected expiration of our patents for certepetide; our ability to obtain patent term extension on our U.S. composition of matter patent; statements relating to Lisata’s continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market; expectations regarding the capitalization, resources and ownership structure of Lisata; the approach Lisata is taking to discover and develop novel therapeutics; the adequacy of Lisata’s capital to support its future operations and its ability to successfully initiate and complete clinical trials; and the difficulty in predicting the time and cost of development of Lisata’s product candidates. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: results observed from preliminary data are not necessarily indicative of final results and one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change following more comprehensive reviews of the data and as more patient data becomes available, including the risk that unconfirmed responses may not ultimately result in confirmed responses to treatment after follow-up evaluations; the risk that product candidates that appeared promising in early research and clinical trials do not demonstrate safety and/or efficacy in larger-scale or later clinical trials; the safety and efficacy of Lisata’s product candidates, decisions of regulatory authorities and the timing thereof, the duration and impact of regulatory delays in Lisata’s clinical programs, Lisata’s ability to finance its operations, the likelihood and timing of the receipt of future milestone and licensing fees, the future success of Lisata’s scientific studies, Lisata’s ability to successfully develop and commercialize drug candidates, the timing for starting and completing clinical trials, rapid technological change in Lisata’s markets, the ability of Lisata to protect its intellectual property rights; and legislative, regulatory, political and economic developments. The foregoing review of important factors that could cause actual events to differ from expectations should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with statements that are included herein and elsewhere, including the risk factors included in Lisata’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 27, 2025, and in other documents filed by Lisata with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by applicable law, Lisata undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contact:

Media and Investors:
Lisata Therapeutics
John Menditto
Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Phone: 908-842-0084
Email: jmenditto@lisata.com

FAQ

What did Lisata (LSTA) announce on January 27, 2026 about certepetide rights?

Lisata announced a mutual termination with Qilu that reverts all Greater China development and commercialization rights for certepetide back to Lisata.

Which territories are included in the reverted certepetide rights for LSTA?

The reverted rights cover Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

What is the status of the Phase 2 study (NCT06261359) after the LSTA–Qilu termination?

Qilu remains obligated to complete and wind down the ongoing Phase 2 clinical study (NCT06261359) in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Will Lisata (LSTA) obtain the Phase 2 trial data from Qilu?

Lisata has agreed to negotiate with Qilu regarding potential licensing of relevant study data; access is subject to negotiation.

How might the rights reversion affect Lisata's development timeline for certepetide in Greater China?

Reversion gives Lisata direct control over regional development, but timelines may depend on Qilu's trial wind‑down and any data licensing negotiations.