By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : June 10, 2026 10:07 am
Deal brings late-stage lung cancer candidates zidesamtinib and neladalkib into GSK’s portfolio
Global healthcare giant GSK has agreed to acquire US biotech firm Nuvalent, in a $10.6 billion all-cash deal aimed squarely at strengthening its oncology pipeline, with a sharp focus on hard-to-treat lung cancers.
Announced from London, the transaction brings three experimental cancer drugs into GSK’s portfolio, including two late-stage therapies that are already under US FDA review and could reach the market in 2026—pending approval.
The crown jewels of the deal are zidesamtinib (NVL-520) and neladalkib (NVL-655), next-generation targeted inhibitors designed for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) driven by ROS1 and ALK genetic alterations. Both drugs have received FDA Breakthrough Therapy and Orphan Drug designations and are positioned as potential best-in-class treatments.
GSK said the acquisition is designed to secure assets with clinically validated targets that still leave room for improvement in efficacy and tolerability versus current standards of care.
Luke Miels, Chief Executive Officer, GSK said: “Today’s acquisition is a multi-product deal, consistent with our approach to acquire assets that have clinically proven targets and meaningfully address an efficacy and/or tolerability gap.
"The two lead products are potential best-in-class assets that could launch this year if approved by the FDA and offer significant new treatment options to patients with two forms of non-small cell lung cancer.
"The acquisition provides GSK with immediate new sales growth opportunities, improving profit contributions from 2027, and a platform in lung cancer for rapid expansion with Ris-Rez, our B7-H3 targeted ADC in phase III clinical development.”
Alongside the late-stage drugs, the deal includes NVL-330, a Phase I HER2-targeted inhibitor, and a broader preclinical pipeline built on Nuvalent’s precision medicine platform.
Nuvalent’s leadership said the acquisition validates years of focused drug design and close collaboration with clinicians and patient groups.
James Porter, Chief Executive Officer, Nuvalent, said: “Since our founding, we have leveraged our deep expertise in chemistry and structure-based drug design to develop a portfolio of novel, potentially best-in-class kinase inhibitors.
"Our close collaboration with leading physician-scientists and patient advocates has driven remarkable enrolment, accelerating development and building confidence in the clinical profile of these drugs. We’re excited that GSK has recognised the significant value these programmes can offer patients and shares our vision for practice-changing innovation.
"GSK’s proven track record, infrastructure, and expertise will support the successful commercialisation of zidesamtinib and neladalkib, as well as accelerate advancement of our broader discovery pipeline.”
The strategic rationale is clear: GSK is moving deeper into precision oncology and building a lung cancer franchise around targeted therapies and antibody-drug conjugates.
The company highlighted that ROS1- and ALK-altered NSCLC primarily affects younger, working-age adults and remains an area with significant unmet need due to resistance and toxicity issues with existing treatments.
Financially, GSK expects the acquisition to start contributing to revenue growth from 2027, become accretive to operating profit in the same year, and boost core EPS by 2029, assuming synergies are realized.
The company confirmed there is no change to its 2026 guidance and that the deal will be funded through a mix of debt and cash, with its credit rating intact.