Prizloncabtagene autoleucel

Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Biotech has returned global rights to Maryland-based AbelZeta Pharma's anti-CD19/CD20 bispecific CAR-T cell therapy prizloncabtagene autoleucel (C-CAR039), unwinding a 2023 licensing deal under which Janssen paid USD 245 million upfront for rights to C-CAR039 and a second CAR-T asset outside Greater China. AbelZeta has since received US FDA clearance of an investigational new drug (IND) application to advance C-CAR039 in US trials for relapsed or refractory (r/r) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). The July 2026 rights return restores to AbelZeta development, regulatory, manufacturing, commercialization, and out-licensing control of C-CAR039 globally. Financial terms were not disclosed. AbelZeta said it is working with the US FDA to finalize protocols for two US populations: third-line or later LBCL patients previously treated with CAR-T and second-line CAR-T-naive patients. The asset returns with a relatively mature clinical dataset. Long-term results presented at the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation in March 2026 covered 48 patients with r/r B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). AbelZeta reported an overall response rate (ORR) of 91.5%, a complete response (CR) rate of 85.1%, and median progression-free survival of 60.1 months at a median follow-up of 53.9 months. A registrational Phase II study in CAR-T-naive r/r LBCL remains ongoing in China. Janssen previously revealed it was ending development of C-CAR-039 (also known as JNJ-4496) in May this year. C-CAR039 targets CD19 and CD20 simultaneously, an architecture intended to reduce antigen escape following CAR-T treatment. Loss or downregulation of target antigen is one resistance mechanism associated with single-target CD19 CAR-T therapies including axicabtagene ciloleucel and tisagenlecleucel. J&J's decision to hand the program back comes as the company makes a much larger commitment to next-generation in vivo CAR-T. Later in July, J&J agreed to USD 785 million in initial payments to Sail Biomedicines, including a USD 465 million equity investment, to develop in vivo CAR-T therapies for immune-mediated diseases. The agreement also includes up to USD 140 million in development-related contingent payments and gives J&J an option to acquire Sail for USD 2.58 billion. The transactions involve different indications and development strategies and J&J has not linked the two decisions. Taken together, however, they highlight a shift in where the company is deploying new cell therapy capital: away from at least one externally licensed ex vivo autologous CAR-T oncology program while making a substantial investment in technology designed to generate CAR-T cells directly inside the patient. For AbelZeta, the return provides full control of a clinical-stage asset just as it enters US development. The company has also attracted recent interest elsewhere in its CAR-T pipeline. In January 2026, AstraZeneca agreed to acquire AbelZeta's remaining China rights to GPC3-targeted C-CAR031, giving AstraZeneca sole global development and commercialization rights to the asset. In July, AbelZeta's CD20/BCMA bispecific C-CAR168 received EMA PRIME designation for lupus nephritis and systemic lupus erythematosus and US FDA clearance for a registrational Phase II trial in refractory lupus nephritis. One question remains over the second asset covered by the original Janssen relationship. A December 2023 amendment gave Janssen an option to obtain exclusive China commercialization rights to C-CAR039 and C-CAR066. AbelZeta's latest disclosure addresses the return of C-CAR039 but does not clarify the current status of C-CAR066 or the earlier China option. The return also comes amid a broader revaluation of cell therapy partnering. Large pharmaceutical companies have committed billions of dollars to in vivo CAR-T platforms during 2025–2026, reflecting interest in approaches that could eliminate the complex ex vivo manufacturing and treatment pathway required for conventional autologous CAR-T. For AbelZeta, the immediate question is whether the long-term Chinese clinical results for C-CAR039 can translate into competitive efficacy in US LBCL populations, including patients who have already failed a previous CAR-T therapy. Access the AllSci platform to explore the science behind the news. Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article

iStock, Yutthana Gaetgeaw Johnson & Johnson secured rights to prizlon-cel in 2023 for $245 million upfront. The asset in June last year showed a 100% response rate as a second-line option in a Phase 1b study for 10 patients with relapsed or refractory large B cell lymphoma. Johnson & Johnson has given up on an investigational CAR T therapy for large B cell lymphoma that the pharma had previously licensed from AbelZeta Pharma. Rights to the asset, dubbed prizloncabtagene autoleucel (prizlon-cel), were returned to AbelZeta in July, the U.S.- and China-based company said in a Sunday release . Prizlon-cel is being developed for the treatment of third- or later-line large B cell lymphoma (LBCL). J&J through its former Janssen subsidiary fronted $245 million in May 2023 to secure the exclusive right to develop and commercialize prizlon-cel—alongside other CAR T assets—outside the Greater China region. The pharma at the time also agreed to pay certain development, regulatory and sales milestones, though these remain undisclosed. A few months later, in December that year, the companies amended the agreement to give J&J the option to obtain the exclusive rights to prizlon-cel in China. The financial terms of this arrangement were likewise kept under wraps. BioSpace has reached out to J&J for more details regarding the decision to return prizlon-cel to AbelZeta and the status of the partnership. The asset no longer appears on J&J’s pipeline page .The pharma listed prizlon-cel—which it labeled JNJ-4496—in its full-year 2025 report in January, but the molecule no longer appeared in the company’s first quarter presentation in April. Cell therapy J&J’s Dual-Targeting CAR T Hits 80% Complete Response in Early Lymphoma Study Analysts at Truist Securities called J&J’s CAR T readout “compelling,” noting that the efficacy figures could position the cell therapy as a formidable competitor to the current standard of care, Gilead’s Yescarta. June 16, 2025 · 2 min read · Tristan Manalac Read more In June last year, J&J released Phase 1b data showing that prizlon-cel elicited a treatment response in all dosed patients with relapsed or refractory LBCL who had undergone one prior line of therapy. Eight of the 10 patients showed a complete response. For the 12 patients receiving the candidate as a third-line treatment, overall response rate was 92% and complete response rate was 75%. Analysts from Truist Securities at the time called these outcomes “compelling,” representing what they said would be an “encouraging step up” from Gilead’s Yescarta, currently the standard of care in LBCL. Yescarta’s complete response rate is 65% in the second-line setting, according to its label . The decision to divest prizlon-cel comes as J&J buffs up other areas of its CAR T portfolio. Late last month, the pharma paid $785 million upfront—and earmarked up to $140 million—to partner with Sail Biomedicines to advance in vivo CAR T therapies for immune indications. The agreement also gives J&J the option to outright acquire Sail in the future for $2.58 billion. CAR-T J&J secures right to take the helm in up to $925M Sail CAR T pact As part of the collaboration, Johnson & Johnson will have an exclusive option to acquire Sail Biomedicines for an additional $2.58 billion. July 30, 2026 · 2 min read · Tristan Manalac Read more