ABL Bio Inc. has entered into a worldwide licensing agreement with GSK to develop novel medicines for neurodegenerative diseases using ABL's proprietary blood-brain barrier (BBB) shuttle platform, Grabody-B. The multi-program agreement, announced on April 6, 2025, could be worth up to £2.075 billion in total milestone payments.
Under the terms of the agreement, ABL Bio will receive up to £77.1 million in upfront and near-term payments, including an immediate upfront payment of £38.5 million. The South Korean biotech company will also receive tiered royalties on net sales if products are successfully commercialized.
Overcoming the Blood-Brain Barrier Challenge
The blood-brain barrier represents one of the most significant obstacles in developing effective treatments for neurological diseases. This protective barrier restricts the entry of potentially harmful substances into the brain but also prevents many therapeutic agents from reaching their targets.
ABL Bio's Grabody-B platform was specifically developed to address this challenge. The technology targets the Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Receptor (IGF1R), facilitating drug penetration across the BBB and enabling efficient delivery of therapeutic molecules into the brain.
"There is a critical need for new therapeutics to treat neurodegenerative brain diseases, which are rapidly increasing in prevalence due to the aging of the population," said Christopher Austin, SVP of Research Technologies at GSK. "Many of the most promising new therapies are antibodies, which cannot efficiently reach the brain without a shuttle to get them across the BBB."
The partnership will explore multiple therapeutic modalities, including antibodies, polynucleotides, and oligonucleotides such as siRNA and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). This broad approach aims to address significant unmet medical needs for patients suffering from neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Strategic Significance for Both Companies
For GSK, this agreement represents a significant investment in neurodegenerative disease research, an area with substantial unmet medical needs and growing market potential due to aging global populations.
"This agreement reflects our commitment to innovative platform technologies to overcome the BBB and thus open entirely new opportunities for treating these devastating diseases, an important component of our emerging pipeline," Austin added.
For ABL Bio, the partnership validates their Grabody-B technology and strengthens their position in the neurodegenerative disease treatment market.
Sang Hoon Lee, CEO of ABL Bio, emphasized the strategic importance of the deal: "This agreement underscores ABL Bio's leadership in BBB technology and its commitment to advancing transformative therapeutics in neurodegenerative diseases through strategic partnership with global pharmaceutical leaders like GSK."
Technology Transfer and Development Responsibilities
As part of the agreement, ABL Bio will transfer Grabody-B-related technology and know-how to GSK. The pharmaceutical giant will then assume responsibility for preclinical and clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization of resulting therapies.
The collaboration leverages the complementary strengths of both organizations: ABL Bio's innovative BBB-crossing technology and GSK's extensive experience in drug development and global commercialization capabilities.
ABL Bio's Broader Pipeline
ABL Bio is developing various clinical and non-clinical assets based on its bispecific antibody platform 'Grabody'. The company currently has seven pipeline candidates in clinical development across various countries, including the United States, China, Australia, and Korea.
Notable among these is ABL001 (tovecimig), which has received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Additionally, ABL111 (givastomig), co-developed with I-Mab, is expected to disclose top-line data from a Phase 1b clinical trial later this year, evaluating a triple combination therapy with nivolumab and chemotherapy.
Market Impact and Future Outlook
The partnership comes at a time when neurodegenerative diseases are receiving increased attention from pharmaceutical companies due to recent breakthroughs in understanding disease mechanisms and the growing patient population.
"Given the increasing number of patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, we hope this partnership will accelerate the development of innovative treatments and bring renewed hope to patients worldwide," said Lee.
This collaboration represents a significant step forward in addressing the challenge of delivering therapeutic agents across the blood-brain barrier, potentially opening new avenues for treating previously intractable neurological conditions.
