Abogen Biosciences has signed a deal with Novartis which kicks off with a USD575m upfront payment, stretching to USD7.2bn in regulatory and commercial milestones; plus royalties on sales.

The deal revolves around ABO2203, Abogen’s mRNA-encoded CD19/CD3 T-cell engager to treat autoimmune diseases. The company proposes that ABO2203 can reset B cells and direct the endogenous production of T-cell engagers in vivo, addressing the issues of B cell depletion seen with current approaches.

Novartis has secured a global license to the asset, and exclusive options to other Abogen programmes.