AstraZeneca Shares: Company Unveils Weight-Management Collaboration with CSPC; Analysts Stay Bullish

AstraZeneca (LON: AZN) shares are down about 1.9 percent year to date but remain nearly 20 percent higher over the past 12 months, as analyst sentiment stays firmly supportive and the company announces a significant expansion of its weight-management pipeline.

Berenberg this week raised its price target on AstraZeneca to 160p from 145p while reiterating a Buy rating. Citi also initiated coverage with a Buy rating and a 17,000p target, citing the company’s position as having the “fastest” mid-term sales and earnings growth in the European pharma sector, driven by both in-market medicines and a broad pipeline.

On Friday, AstraZeneca announced that it has strengthened its pipeline further through a new strategic collaboration agreement with CSPC Pharmaceuticals that covers eight programmes targeting obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The deal provides AstraZeneca with exclusive global rights outside China to CSPC’s once-monthly injectable portfolio, including a clinical-ready GLP1R/GIPR agonist, SYH2082, and three additional preclinical assets using differentiated mechanisms.

The agreement gives AstraZeneca access to CSPC’s AI-driven peptide discovery capabilities and its LiquidGel once-monthly dosing platform, aimed at improving treatment adherence.

Sharon Barr, Executive Vice President of BioPharmaceuticals R&D, said the collaboration “advances our weight management portfolio” and supports the development of “simple, scalable and sustainable options” for people with obesity.

CSPC Chairman Dongchen Cai said the companies aim to deliver next-generation treatments using CSPC’s technology and AstraZeneca’s global reach.

Under the terms, CSPC will receive a $1.2 billion upfront payment and up to $3.5 billion in milestones, with AstraZeneca taking over development outside China following Phase I studies.