Yuhan Corporation’s non-small cell lung cancer drug, Leclaza (lazertinib), and Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) Rybrevant (amivantamab) combination therapy has reportedly surpassed 1 trillion KRW (about 691 million USD) in sales last year. Yuhan Corporation, a global top 50 pharmaceutical company, invests over 10% of its annual revenue in research and development (R&D), with plans to increase that figure to more than 20%.
On Tuesday, industry sources reported that J&J announced during its recent fourth-quarter conference call that sales for Lazcluze (Leclaza’s U.S. brand name) and Rybrevant reached 734 million USD last year.
Leclaza was licensed to global pharmaceutical giant J&J in 2018. Subsequently, the combination therapy with Rybrevant received the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in August 2024 and was launched in the U.S. market. Leclaza has become a significant asset for Yuhan Corporation. The initial technology transfer deal with J&J in 2018 was valued at 1.255 billion USD (with a 50 million USD upfront payment), but a contract revision last September adjusted the total to 950 million USD.
The milestone payments alone amount to 900 million USD, of which Yuhan Corporation has received 270 million USD. The breakdown includes: an upfront payment (November 2018 – 50 million USD), progress in combination development (April 2020 – 35 million USD), initiation of Phase 3 dosing (November 2020 – 65 million USD), U.S. commercialization start (September 2024 – 60 million USD), Japan commercialization start (May 2025 – 15 million USD), and China commercialization start (October 2025 – 45 million USD). There are still $680 million in remaining milestone payments.
Royalties based on Leclaza’s global net sales occur separately from milestones and are reported to be over 10% of net sales. J&J currently discloses the combined sales of Leclaza and Rybrevant during its quarterly earnings announcements. Last year, the global sales for the fourth quarter reached 216 million USD, with cumulative annual sales hitting 734 million USD, more than doubling from the previous year.
The milestones and royalties from Leclaza have significantly boosted Yuhan Corporation’s financial performance. The company joined the 2 trillion KRW (about 1.38 billion USD) club last year and surpassed 1 trillion KRW (about 691 million USD) in sales in the first half of this year alone. Yuhan Corporation expects to see continued improvements in profitability, driven by increased licensing revenue related to Leclaza and sustained high growth in overseas operations.
Improved Data Compared to Existing Treatments… SC Formulation Approval
Leclaza is anticipated to improve survival rates by over a year compared to existing treatments. Notably, major markets including the U.S., Europe, China, and Japan have approved Rybrevant’s subcutaneous (SC) formulation, which is expected to accelerate global sales growth.
Clinical trials focusing on side effect management are also progressing rapidly. J&J presented interim results of their study on reducing side effects from the combination therapy at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025. The study showed that proactive skin care can reduce adverse symptoms by about one-third, demonstrating ongoing efforts to improve both efficacy and safety.
The Leclaza and Rybrevant combination therapy was listed as the preferred first-line treatment (Category 1) for EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer in the U.S. National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines in November 2024, establishing it as a global standard treatment reference.
Yuhan Corporation is accelerating the development of its next-generation pipeline. The allergy treatment Resigercept (YH35324) demonstrated strong IgE suppression and symptom improvement in chronic spontaneous urticaria patients during Phase 1 clinical trials and recently initiated a multinational Phase 2 trial.
Previously focused on open innovation through biotech licensing, Yuhan Corporation has expanded its efforts to earlier stages of drug discovery, including exploration and lead optimization. The company is also restructuring its strategies to maximize efficiency and accelerate new drug development, while planning targeted business development activities and the establishment of new companies.
Meanwhile, Yuhan Corporation provided Leclaza free of charge through an Expanded Access Program (EAP) for six months starting in July 2023. The pre-reimbursement price was 68,964 KRW (about 48 USD), benefiting a total of 895 patients.
Yuhan Corporation supplied Leclaza through national secondary and tertiary medical institutions without limiting the support scale for those wishing to prescribe it as a first-line treatment.
An industry insider commented that this initiative not only provides patients with both clinical and financial benefits but also represents a significant contribution to corporate social responsibility. Yuhan Corporation has set a precedent as the first domestic pharmaceutical company to offer free access to a new drug before insurance coverage.
