AstraZeneca acquires full rights to liver cancer therapy in USD630M deal with AbelZeta

CHINA—AstraZeneca has reached an agreement to purchase AbelZeta’s 50% stake in the development and commercialization rights for C-CAR031 in China, marking a significant expansion of the pharmaceutical giant’s control over this promising cancer therapy.

The acquisition will give AstraZeneca complete global authority over the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the treatment, which was previously divided between the two companies based on geographic territories.

Under the terms of the deal, AbelZeta will receive up to USD630 million from AstraZeneca, with the payment structure including both upfront cash and milestone fees tied to the GPC3 program’s progress in China.

Before this transaction, AstraZeneca held exclusive rights to C-CAR031 in all markets outside China, while AbelZeta retained control in the Chinese market.

Despite selling its Chinese rights, AbelZeta will remain eligible for additional milestone payments and royalty revenues as the therapy advances through development in markets outside China.

C-CAR031 represents an innovative approach to treating cancer through autologous CAR-T cell therapy, which uses a patient’s own immune cells that have been genetically modified to target cancer.

The therapy specifically targets Glypican 3, a protein that appears on the surface of certain cancer cells.

AstraZeneca designed the treatment using its proprietary dominant negative transforming growth factor-beta receptor II armouring platform, a sophisticated technology intended to enhance the therapy’s effectiveness against solid tumours.

Researchers are currently investigating C-CAR031 as a potential treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma and other solid tumours that have historically proven difficult to treat with conventional therapies.

Liver cancer stands as the third-leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, making it a critical area of medical research and development.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the predominant form of liver cancer, representing approximately 75% of all primary liver cancers diagnosed in adults.

The disease typically begins in the liver, either as a single tumour or as multiple nodules throughout the organ.

When detected early at a local stage, HCC can be treated with various interventions.

However, the majority of patients receive their diagnosis only after the cancer has reached an advanced stage, which dramatically limits treatment options and outcomes.

Patients diagnosed with advanced HCC face a particularly grim prognosis, with a five-year survival rate of merely 7% and a median survival time of nearly 20 months from diagnosis.

Tony (Bizuo) Liu, who serves as chairman and chief executive officer of AbelZeta, explained that this transaction demonstrates the company’s dedication to leveraging its platform technology for developing novel cell therapies targeting solid tumours with high unmet medical needs, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma.

Liu added that the agreement provides an opportunity to maximize C-CAR031’s global reach by allowing AstraZeneca’s extensive resources and worldwide infrastructure to accelerate the therapy’s development and eventual availability to patients.

AbelZeta operates as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with facilities in Rockville, Maryland, and Shanghai, China.

The company specializes in developing innovative therapeutic products that harness the body’s own immune system to fight various diseases.

AbelZeta conducts its research at good manufacturing practice facilities, where it advances multiple chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies through various stages of clinical development.

The company achieved another significant regulatory milestone in May 2025 when the US Food and Drug Administration granted regenerative medicine advanced therapy designation to C-CAR168, AbelZeta’s autologous bi-specific chimeric antigen receptor CAR-T therapy.

This designation applies to the treatment of refractory systemic lupus erythematosus, including lupus nephritis, further demonstrating the company’s expertise in developing cutting-edge cellular therapies.