Zhongshan-based biotech firm Dartsbio has inked an exclusive licensing deal with US emerging biopharma company Slate Medicines. The agreement grants the latter global rights (excluding the Greater China region) to develop and commercialize Dartsbio's in-house innovative drug DS009 (rebranded as SLTE-1009 by Slate Medicines) for migraine prevention and treatment. This marks China's first non-addictive migraine analgesic to enter international markets.

Headquartered in Zhongshan's Cuiheng New District, Dartsbio specializes in antibody drug R&D targeting unmet clinical needs in pain management, oncology complications, and neurological diseases, leveraging its proprietary antibody engineering platform.

DS009, a PACAP-targeting monoclonal antibody, offers new hope for tens of millions of global migraine patients unresponsive to current therapies. Under the deal, Slate Medicines will lead the clinical development outside Greater China, with clinical trials slated for mid-2026.