Sept 15 (Reuters) – GSK said on Tuesday it had agreed a deal worth up to $750 million to buy a trispecific T cell-engager (TCE), a drug designed to help T-cells target cancer, from China-based biotechnology firm Chimagen Biosciences.
• A trispecific T cell-engager is an engineered protein that brings T cells and tumor cells together while blocking immune checkpoints, enhancing cancer-killing ability with reduced off-target effects.
• GSK will pay an upfront fee to acquire full global rights to the TCE program, and Chimagen will be eligible for development and commercial milestone-linked payments.
• The London-listed company plans to develop and commercialize the drug for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, with phase 1 trials expected to begin in 2027.
• The deal marks the latest step in an oncology building spree under new CEO Luke Miels, who has vowed to expand GSK’s cancer franchise ahead of looming patent losses on its top-selling HIV medicines.
• Earlier this year, GSK bought lung cancer specialist Nuvalent for a $10.6 billion, its biggest acquisition in more than a decade.
• In 2024, GSK bought rights to develop and sell an experimental drug from Chimagen in an up to $850 million deal.
• In October 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved GSK’s blood cancer drug Blenrep in a combination regimen, allowing it to return to the market nearly three years after it was withdrawn.
(Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema and Janane Venaktraman)
