Antengene licenses ATG-106 to K2 Therapeutics

BOSTON, SINGAPORE and HONG KONG, June 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Antengene Corporation Limited ("Antengene", SEHK: [6996 HK]), a leading innovative, commercial-stage global biotech company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class and/or best-in-class medicines for autoimmune diseases, solid tumors and hematological malignancies indications, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement ("License Agreement") with K2 Therapeutics for ATG-106, a preclinical CDH6 x CD3 bispecific T cell engager (TCE) in development for solid tumors. Antengene also announced that it has entered into an option agreement ("Option Agreement") to grant K2 Therapeutics the option to obtain exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize an undisclosed preclinical bispecific TCE candidate. Across both the License Agreement and the Option Agreement, K2 Therapeutics' rights extend globally, excluding Greater China.

K2 Therapeutics, established by MPM BioImpact, is a biotech company and scalable hub-and-spoke engine built for global impact, with search and development capabilities unconstrained by modality or geography. MPM BioImpact is a world-leading biotechnology investment firm, with over 30 years' experience creating and investing in innovative companies.

"We are very pleased to expand our partnerships with our TCE pipeline with this important collaboration around our AnTenGager® platform," said Dr. Jay Mei, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Antengene. "We believe ATG-106, our CDH6 x CD3 bispecific TCE reflects the differentiated design of AnTenGager® TCEs and their potential in solid tumors. AnTenGager® TCEs are designed to address key challenges that have historically limited first-generation TCEs in solid tumors, particularly with respect to safety and tolerability. By combining steric hindrance-based masking with our proprietary fast on/off CD3 binder, AnTenGager® TCEs are designed to activate T cells in a disease-associated antigen-gated manner, with the potential to reduce cytokine release syndrome and T cell exhaustion while maintaining potent anti-tumor activity."

Both ATG-106 and the undisclosed program leverage Antengene's proprietary AnTenGager® platform, which offers a differentiated TCE approach, where binding of the TCE arm (CD3) is sterically masked in the absence of target antigen binding providing potent activity and better tolerability.

"We are excited to license ATG-106, a highly differentiated CDH6 x CD3 bispecific TCE, as well as a second promising TCE program enabled by the cutting-edge AnTenGager® platform," said Frank Neumann, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of K2 Therapeutics. "CDH6 is an attractive target given its overexpression in tumors such as ovarian and renal cancers, and its limited expression in normal adult tissues. We believe the unique design of ATG-106 has the potential to meaningfully advance the field of solid tumor TCEs. We look forward to advancing ATG-106 toward the clinic and to delivering meaningful benefit to patients."

Under the License Agreement, Antengene is entitled to upfront and near-term considerations of approximately USD 20 million, consisting of cash and a minority equity stake in a newly established asset company and subsidiary of K2 Therapeutics, subject to the satisfaction of certain near-term conditions. Antengene is also eligible to receive developmental, regulatory and sales milestone payments of up to USD 960.5 million related to ATG-106, plus tiered royalties on future net sales.

Under the Option Agreement, upon exercise of the option, Antengene is entitled to receive upfront and near-term considerations of approximately USD 20 million, consisting of an option exercise fee, near-term payment and upfront payment, as well as a minority equity stake in the related asset company. Antengene would also be eligible to receive developmental, regulatory and sales milestone payments of up to USD 960.5 million related to the undisclosed TCE program, plus tiered royalties on future net sales.