AbCellera and Vertex team up on T-cell engager drugs for autoimmune

AbCellera Biologics (Nasdaq: ABCL) announced a collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: VRTX) to research, develop, manufacture, and commercialize multispecific T-cell engagers (TCEs) targeting autoimmune diseases and other conditions.

Under the terms of the agreement, AbCellera will lead discovery and early development activities using its proprietary TCE platform. Vertex will fund all research and development costs and will hold the right to develop and commercialize any resulting therapeutic multispecific antibodies.

AbCellera will receive $28 million in total upfront payments and is eligible for preclinical, development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, along with tiered royalties on net sales. The two companies may also mutually agree to have AbCellera conduct cell line development, process development, and clinical manufacturing through Phase 1 for any program under the collaboration.

AbCellera's TCE platform covers discovery through clinical manufacturing and includes proprietary CD3-binding antibodies, costimulatory targeting arms, multispecific protein engineering technology, and high-throughput functional assays.

"We continue to see our TCE platform as a source for advancing impactful programs into the clinic, both internally and through strategic partnerships," said Carl Hansen, Ph.D., founder and CEO of AbCellera.

Mark Bunnage, D.Phil., EVP and Chief Scientific Officer at Vertex, said AbCellera's platform "offers sophisticated capabilities for discovering and engineering multispecific antibodies."

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