Novartis pays $575M upfront for Abogen RNA drugs in up to $8B deal

· Health · Switzerland · China

Novartis will pay Abogen Biosciences $575 million upfront for exclusive worldwide rights to the Chinese biotech's lead CD19xCD3 T cell engager, an early-stage RNA-based cancer therapy. Abogen could receive up to roughly $7.2 billion more in milestones, and the deal also gives Novartis access to its RNA technology.

Why it matters：The deal shows large pharma continuing to pay up for early-stage Chinese RNA and oncology assets, a licensing trend that reshapes where novel drug technology is sourced globally.

Key points

  • Abogen's lead asset is an early-stage CD19xCD3 T cell engager.
  • The upfront payment is $575 million, with up to about $7.2 billion in additional milestones.
  • Novartis also gains access to Abogen's RNA technology and an option on program ABO-2203.

Sources (original reporting)

More stories from this day