Leios Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on innovative aesthetic therapies, announced on Aug. 30, 2026 that subsidiaries of China Medical System Holdings Limited (CMS) entered into an exclusive licensing agreement for 10XB-101 and agreed to make a related strategic equity investment in Leios, according to GlobeNewswire PE.
10XB-101 is described by Leios as a proprietary injectable therapy containing polidocanol, and the company said it is being developed for focal fat reduction and body contouring, according to GlobeNewswire PE.
Deal scope: exclusive mainland China rights
Under the licensing agreement, CMS receives exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize 10XB-101 in mainland China, including Hong Kong and Macau, according to GlobeNewswire PE.
Leios said it will receive an upfront payment, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, and royalties on future net sales, and that it will support the advancement of its 10XB-101 clinical development program, according to the same announcement.
In a separate transaction, CMS agreed to make a strategic equity investment in Leios, according to the announcement.
Counterparty and positioning
CMS is identified as an innovative pharmaceutical company focused on the identification, building, and full lifecycle management of differentiated specialty pharmaceuticals, and is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 867) and the Singapore Exchange (stock code: 8A8), according to GlobeNewswire PE.
Ted White, chief executive officer of Leios Therapeutics, said the agreement with CMS represents a strategic milestone for Leios and validates Leios’s “market-by-market commercialization model” and the “scientific promise of 10XB-101,” according to the announcement.
White also said CMS is an established pharmaceutical company with growing international activities, and that the partnership is intended to enable Leios to reach “one of the world’s largest markets,” according to the announcement.
White said CMS decided to license 10XB-101 following a “rigorous diligence process,” and that Leios expects this partnership to accelerate development and expand access to 10XB-101 in China, according to the announcement.
Timeline and prior regional deal
Leios said it is progressing trial initiation activities and expects to commence the trial in early 2027, according to the announcement.
Leios described the CMS agreement as the second major licensing and investment agreement signed in 2026 for the company and said it follows a partnership with BNC Korea, according to GlobeNewswire PE.
Leios said that, together, the agreements establish its presence in two markets for cosmetic procedures and skin care innovation outside the United States, and characterized South Korea as a global trendsetter in aesthetics and China as a “volume powerhouse,” according to the announcement.
Clinical readout cited in the release
Leios reported that in its Phase 2b study in submental fat reduction, 10XB-101 demonstrated efficacy, with 64% and 70% of completers in the higher dose groups (3.0% and 4.5%) achieving a grade 2 or greater improvement on both clinician-reported and patient-reported submental fat scales (CSFS and PSFS), according to the announcement.
(Background context, widely known: licensing agreements commonly include upfront payments, milestone payments, royalties, and may be paired with equity investments.)
