AbelZeta Pharma announced AstraZeneca has agreed to acquire AbelZeta’s remaining 50% stake in the China development and commercialization rights for C-CAR031, a Glypican 3 (GPC3)-targeting armored CAR-T therapy being studied in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other solid tumors.
The transaction consolidates global control of the program under AstraZeneca, which previously held development, manufacturing and commercialization rights outside China. With the new agreement, AstraZeneca would hold the sole right to develop, manufacture and commercialize C-CAR031 worldwide.
Financial terms include up to $630 million payable to AbelZeta, consisting of an upfront payment plus development, regulatory and sales milestone payments tied to the GPC3 program in China. AbelZeta also remains eligible for additional milestone payments and royalties associated with development outside China under the parties’ prior arrangement, the company said.
C-CAR031 is an autologous CAR-T therapy engineered to target GPC3, a tumor-associated antigen commonly linked to HCC. The therapy was designed using AstraZeneca’s dominant negative transforming growth factor-beta receptor II armoring platform, intended to help CAR-T cells function in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment that has historically challenged cell therapies in solid tumors.
HCC is the most common form of primary liver cancer in adults and is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage, when prognosis is poor. AbelZeta cited industry estimates indicating HCC incidence in China has been rising steadily, reaching roughly 344,500 cases in 2024.
AbelZeta, a clinical-stage biotech with operations in Rockville, Maryland, and Shanghai, said the deal supports its strategy of leveraging its cell-therapy platform while enabling broader global development of the C-CAR031 program under a single partner.
KEY QUOTE:
“This transaction reflects our commitment to leverage our platform technology to develop novel cell therapies in solid tumors of high unmet medical need, including Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and provides the opportunity to maximize C-CAR031’s global reach.”
Tony (Bizuo) Liu, Chairman and CEO, AbelZeta Pharma
