Novartis AG has licensed a messenger RNA-based autoimmune therapy from China’s Abogen Biosciences in a deal worth up to $7.8 billion. The Swiss drugmaker will pay $575 million upfront for rights to an mRNA-encoded T-cell engager. Abogen’s drug, ABO2203, is designed to reset the immune system by depleting a type of white blood cell that drives autoimmune diseases.
The agreement covers options for other potential programs from Abogen’s RNA platform. If all options are exercised and milestones met, Abogen could receive up to $7.2 billion in additional payments, plus potential royalties on future product sales. This deal follows a trend of multinational drugmakers acquiring rights to Chinese innovations.
Earlier this week, Novo Nordisk A/S acquired rights to an early-stage obesity pill from Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co. in a $2.6 billion deal. Astra Zeneca Plc also invested $2 billion in Summit Therapeutics Inc. to co-develop a cancer medicine from Akeso Inc. Earlier this year, GSK Plc partnered with Chimagen Biosciences for a blood-cancer drug. Novartis has tested other approaches to resetting autoimmunity, including cell therapy, but recently paused clinical trials after three patient deaths.
Source: Bloomberg Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing