- Antengene grants UCB exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize ATG-201, a CD19/CD3 T-cell-engaging (TCE) bispecific antibody targeting B-cell-related autoimmune diseases.
- Antengene will receive $80 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments, and is eligible to receive more than $1.1 billion in success-based development, regulatory and sales milestones, as well as tiered royalties on future net sales.
- Agreement highlights AnTenGager™ the unique capabilities of the platform to develop new, next-generation traditional cultural expressions with broad applicability. Following this collaboration, 9 disclosed products remain under R&D under AnTenGager.™ platform.
- Antengene will host a conference call and webcast at 9:00 a.m. HKT (Chinese session) and 10:00 p.m. HKT (English session) on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
HONG KONG and BRUSSELS, March 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Antengene Corporation Limited (Antengene), a leading global innovative and commercial biotechnology company, and UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that they entered into an agreement that grants UCB an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and market the ATG-201 and access to its associated manufacturing technology compared to the ATG-201.
T cell activators (TCEs), targeting B cell depletion, are a class of therapeutic agents designed to selectively target and eliminate B cells, which play a role in a variety of diseases, including autoimmune diseases and certain hematologic cancers. Specifically, ATG-201 is a CD19-targeting bispecific TCE incorporating steric hindrance masking technology, designed to eliminate CD19-expressing B cells. This bispecific interaction with T and B cells via CD3 and CD19 has demonstrated potential in treating B cell-driven diseases by harnessing the body’s immune system for precise and potent action.
Antengene plans to submit clinical trial applications for ATG-201 in China and Australia in the first quarter of 2026. Antengene will complete first-in-human Phase 1 studies in these two jurisdictions and then transfer further clinical and other development of ATG-201 to UCB.
“We are delighted to partner with UCB, combining our innovative discovery platform and clinical execution capabilities with their deep expertise and experience in immunology to accelerate the development of ATG-201 efficiently and on a global scale,” said Dr. Jay Mei, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Antengene. “ATG-201, specifically designed for autoimmune diseases, incorporates bivalent CD19 binding, steric hindrance-based masking technology and a proprietary CD3 sequence, a strategy designed to enable effective B cell depletion and reduce the risk of cytokine release syndrome (CRS). This collaboration further highlights AnTenGager.™ the unique ability of the platform to develop novel next-generation TCEs with broad applicability in different therapeutic areas.
Antengene’s AnTenGager™ The platform provides a differentiated approach to T cell engagement, in which TCE arm (CD3) binding is sterically masked in the absence of target antigen binding, providing potent activity and improved tolerability.
“UCB is excited to partner with Antengene on ATG-201, a novel B cell-depleting immune cell receptor, designed to provide a targeted, durable and scalable treatment option for immunological diseases and a potentially disruptive therapeutic modality,” said Alistair Henry, Scientific Director, UCB. He added: “Access to Antengene’s cutting-edge T cell activation technology platform reinforces our ambition to become a leader in immunology. It complements our expertise in monoclonal antibodies and novel biologics, demonstrates our inorganic innovation strategy in action, and brings new transformational capabilities that propel UCB into the growing field of bispecific T cell activators.
“AnTenGager™ TCEs activate T cells in a disease-associated antigen (DAA)-dependent manner due to steric hindrance-based masking. This feature, combined with our proprietary fast-on-fast-off CD3 binder, not only reduces the risk of CRS, but also reduces T cell exhaustion,” said Dr. Bing Hou, Vice President, Head of Discovery Science and Translational Medicine. “Antengene is developing several first-in-class TCEs, not only for autoimmune diseases, but also for the treatment of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. »
In exchange for the licensing rights granted to UCB, Antengene will receive an upfront and near-term milestone payment of $80 million (comprising an initial upfront payment of $60 million and additional near-term milestone payments of $20 million subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions) and would be eligible to receive future success-based development and commercial milestone payments of over $1.1 billion, as well as tiered royalties on net sales future.. Other financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Antengene will host a conference call and webcast at 9:00 a.m. HKT (Chinese session) and 10:00 p.m. HKT (English session) on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Conference call details and webcast link will be provided on the Company’s website at https://www.antengene.com/investor
Forward-looking statements
Please refer https://www.antengene.com/newsinfo/442
For more information, please contact:
Investor contacts:
Donald Lung
E-mail: donald.lung@antengene.com
BD contacts:
Ariel Guo
E-mail: ariel.guo@antengene.com
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SOURCE Antengene Corporation Limited
