ChongKunDang Acquires 7% Stake in AbClon to Co-Develop CD19 CAR-T Therapy

Acquisition of 7% Stake, Two Companies Collaborating on CAR-T Therapy

Today (May 12), ChongKunDang announced a strategic equity investment and R&D partnership agreement with AbClon, a company focused on the development of advanced cell gene therapy platforms.

Through this agreement, ChongKunDang plans to increase its stake in AbClon by acquiring 1.4 million shares at a price of 8,723 Korean Won per share, with a total value of 12.2 billion Korean Won (approximately 62.85 million RMB). ChongKunDang has agreed to provide the funds by the 19th. After the capital increase, ChongKunDang's shareholding will reach 7.33%, making it the second-largest shareholder after the founder, Lee Jong-seo, and related companies (13.06%).

AbClon has decided to invest all funds into clinical and R&D expenses, with 5.2 billion Korean Won planned for this year, 6 billion Korean Won for next year, and the remaining amount planned for use after 2027.

At the same time, ChongKunDang will acquire the exclusive domestic sales rights for AbClon's in-development CD19 CAR-T product, AT101 (Nespacel).

AT101 is an autologous CD19-targeted CAR-T product with a 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain. It targets CD19 closer to the cell membrane with a novel antibody, offering rapid binding and dissociation rates. This results in non-overlapping resistance mechanisms and higher efficacy, making it suitable for various non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) types such as follicular lymphoma (FL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). AbClon is currently conducting Phase II clinical trials for this drug, with the goal of obtaining fast-track approval this year.

At the 65th ASH Annual Meeting, the Phase I clinical study results for “AT101 in the treatment of relapsed or refractory (r/r) B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)” were announced. The study included 12 r/r B-cell NHL patients, with 7 having diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 3 with follicular lymphoma (FL), and 1 with mantle cell lymphoma. After lymphocyte depletion, patients received three increasing doses of AT101.

The treatment results showed that among the 10 patients who responded to treatment, the overall response rate (ORR) was 91.7% (95% CI, 56.2–97.0). In the first month of treatment, the ORR was 83.3% (95% CI, 51.6-97.9), and complete remission (CR) was observed in 8 patients (66.7%). In the third month, among the 11 remaining patients, 8 responding patients achieved CR (72.7%) (95% CI, 43.6-92.1).

The two companies plan to establish a comprehensive cooperation system to jointly develop new drugs and commercialize them. The company stated: “We plan to jointly develop therapies for blood cancers, solid tumors, CAR-T therapies, and bispecific antibody therapies.” They added: “We will establish a joint development committee to conduct comprehensive collaboration, from selecting development priorities to clinical trials, approvals, and commercialization strategies.”

ChongKunDang CEO Kim Young-joo stated: “We will expand our biologic new drug portfolio based on AbClon’s next-generation immune cell therapy platform and unique antibody development technology, ensuring competitiveness in the global market.”

AbClon CEO Lee Jong-seo stated: “Based on the agreement with ChongKunDang, which possesses the highest-level R&D technology in Korea, we will be reborn as a global platform innovative therapy company.”

Other Company's layout in the CGT 

In recent years, several companies have accelerated and deepened their layout in the CGT field through acquisitions:

• In February 2024, Novo Holdings, a subsidiary of Novo Nordisk, announced the acquisition of CGT CDMO leader Catalent in an all-cash deal worth $16.5 billion. This acquisition significantly enhanced Novo Nordisk's R&D and production capabilities in the CGT field, especially in outsourced cell and gene therapy services.
• In November 2024, Northeast Pharmaceutical acquired a 70% stake in Beijing Dingcheng Peptide Source Biotechnology Co., Ltd. for 187 million yuan. Dingcheng Peptide Source’s DCTY1102 injection received an implicit approval for clinical trials from CDE in August 2024 and is expected to become the second global, and the first domestic, TCR-T cell therapy drug targeting KRAS G12D to enter Phase I clinical trials.
• In February 2025, Tebao Biotech’s wholly-owned subsidiary Borsai Gene plans to acquire part of the assets of innovative AAV gene therapy R&D company Jiutian Bio with its own funds. This acquisition will help Tebao Biotech further expand its footprint in gene therapy.
• In February 2025, WuXi AppTec invested 500 million yuan in its CGT subsidiary, WuXi Biologics, increasing its registered capital from 100 million yuan to 600 million yuan, to strengthen the CGT commercialization production capacity at the Shanghai Lingang base.