Gilead to Acquire Investigational Oral IL-23R Inhibitor HCXT-2001, Strengthening Its Inflammation Pipeline in IBD
Business Wire•22/10/2026•16:05 ET
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Key Highlights
- ➤Gilead to acquire PepStar’s HCXT-2001 program for $1.275 billion upfront cash
- ➤HCXT-2001 is an oral macrocyclic peptide IL-23R inhibitor in Phase 1 trials
- ➤Transaction expected to close in fourth quarter of 2026
- ➤Deal expected to reduce Gilead EPS by approximately $0.79 to $0.83 in Q4 2026
- ➤Gilead receives worldwide rights, including potential IBD combination use with emvistegrast
Expert Statements
Dietmar Berger, Chief Medical Officer of Gilead
“HCXT-2001 adds a potentially differentiated oral approach to our growing inflammation pipeline, reflecting our commitment to addressing significant unmet patient needs”
Dietmar Berger, Chief Medical Officer of Gilead
“We see potential for HCXT-2001 alone or in combination, including with emvistegrast, as a daily oral treatment for people living with IBD.”
Haibing Guo, Founder and CEO of PepStar
“We are excited for Gilead to take HCXT-2001 forward and believe their scientific expertise and global development capabilities can help realize the full potential of this novel oral IL-23R inhibitor”
Haibing Guo, Founder and CEO of PepStar
“This transaction marks a major milestone for our company and underscores the strength of our proprietary oral peptide platform.”
Haibing Guo, Founder and CEO of PepStar
“I feel incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished in just three years and excited about what lies ahead as we continue bringing innovative medicines to patients around the world.”
Gilead to Acquire Investigational Oral IL-23R Inhibitor HCXT-2001, Strengthening Its Inflammation Pipeline in IBD
-- Clinical Program Adds a Potentially Differentiated Oral Peptide IL-23 Receptor Inhibitor to Gilead’s Inflammation Portfolio --
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