Kaigene Enters into Exclusive Licensing Agreement with Celltrion for Novel Antibody Therapeutics in Autoimmune Diseases
- Celltrion will develop and commercialize Kaigene's nonclinical-stage antibody assets, KG006 and KG002, under an exclusive licensing agreement.
- Kaigene will receive $8M upfront payment and up to $736M in potential milestone payments, including $11M in near-term milestones through the initiation of Phase 1 study.
ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaigene Inc., a U.S.-based biotechnology company pioneering next-generation antibody therapeutics for autoimmune disorders, announced today that it has entered into an exclusive global licensing agreement with Celltrion Inc., a leading global biopharmaceutical company, for two of Kaigene's nonclinical-stage assets, KG006 and KG002.
Under the terms of the agreement, Kaigene will receive $8 million upfront payment and up to $736 million in total milestone payments, including $11 million in near-term milestones through the initiation of Phase 1 clinical trials. Kaigene is also eligible to receive tiered royalties on net sales if the product from the collaboration is commercialized. Celltrion will obtain exclusive rights to develop and commercialize KG006 worldwide except Greater China and Japan, and will hold worldwide rights for KG002.
"Kaigene is a discovery-driven biotech focused on creating innovative antibody therapeutics," said Minjae Shin, Chief Executive Officer of Kaigene Inc. "Our business model is to provide non-clinical antibody candidates to partners through early partnerships that can accelerate development and commercialization. We believe that Celltrion, with its world-class infrastructure and fully integrated capabilities across manufacturing, clinical development, regulatory approval, and global commercialization of antibody therapeutics, is the ideal partner to bring Kaigene's innovations to patients worldwide."
Kaigene's pipeline leverages its PDEG™ (Pathogenic Antibody Degrader) platform technology to selectively degrade pathogenic antibodies that mainly exacerbate various autoimmune diseases. KG006 is a next-generation FcRn inhibitor with a novel antibody structure, offering extended durability and best-in-class potential compared with existing therapies. KG002 is a first-in-class, dual-acting antibody that selectively degrades disease-specific autoantibodies and simultaneously suppresses disease-specific B cells in certain autoimmune disorders.
About Kaigene Inc.
Kaigene Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative antibody therapeutics that have the potential to transform the treatment paradigm for pathogenic antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases. Leveraging its proprietary PDEG™ (Pathogenic Antibody Degrader) platform—a dual-acting technology optimized to selectively degrade pathogenic antibodies and suppress the B cells that produce autoantibodies—Kaigene entered into an option-to-license collaboration in the first half of 2025 with a U.S. venture capital group specializing in building immunology-focused biotech companies for two PDEG pipelines directed at undisclosed pathogenic targets. In addition, Kaigene is advancing its NanoBx™ (Nanobody-based Brain Shuttle) platform to enhance antibody penetration across the blood–brain barrier. Through this platform, the company is developing multiple therapeutic candidates aimed at addressing the significant unmet clinical needs in CNS autoimmune diseases, an area that remains largely unexplored. Founded in 2022, Kaigene is currently in the Pre-A bridging investment stage and has raised a total of USD 31.5 million to date. For more information, please visit www.kaigene.com.
About Celltrion Inc.
Celltrion is a leading biopharmaceutical company based in Incheon, South Korea that specializes in researching, developing, and manufacturing innovative therapeutics that improve people's lives worldwide. Celltrion pursues sustainable growth by leveraging its experience and assets in the successful biosimilar business to develop new medicines and healthcare platform technologies. The company works with a sense of duty to advance patients' wellness and provide them with enhanced access to reliable healthcare. To accomplish this, Celltrion adheres to strong internal ethical standards in its daily operations. To learn more, please visit www.celltrion.com.
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SOURCE Kaigene