Hutchison MediPharma (HMP), the R&D division of the Chinese pharmaceutical and healthcare group Hutchison Chi-Med, has partnered with Eli Lilly for second time with a licensing, co-development and commercialisation agreement for its Phase II cancer drug fruquintinib (HMPL-013), a highly selective small molecule inhibitor of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor tyrosine kinases with potential in the treatment of advanced refractory solid tumours. The two companies will share development costs in China, thus allowing HMP to expand the clinical programme for the drug to multiple tumour types.