AbbVie Pays $650M Upfront to RemeGen for PD-1/VEGF Bispecific RC148 Rights Outside China

AbbVie and RemeGen announced an exclusive licensing agreement on January 12, 2026, at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference for RC148, a PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody in development for advanced solid tumors like NSCLC and colorectal cancer.125

AbbVie pays $650 million upfront and up to $4.95 billion in milestones, plus tiered double-digit royalties on net sales outside Greater China.236

AbbVie gains exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize RC148 outside Greater China; RemeGen retains rights in Greater China.235

RC148 is in phase 2 in China, showing early favorable antitumor activity alone and with ADCs, aiming to combine immune checkpoint inhibition, anti-angiogenesis, and ADC activity.35

The deal positions AbbVie in the competitive PD-1xVEGF bispecific race against players like Summit/Akeso (ivonescimab), Pfizer, and BioNTech/BMS.23

Sources:

1. https://pharmaphorum.com/news/jpm-abbvie-pays-650m-upfront-remegen-cancer-drug

2. https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/abbvie-remegen-pd-1-vegf-bispecific-licensing-deal/

3. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/abbvie-pens-56b-pact-remegen-join-pd1xvegf-bispecific-battle

5. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abbvie-and-remegen-announce-exclusive-licensing-agreement-to-develop-a-novel-bispecific-antibody-for-advanced-solid-tumors-302657854.html

6. https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/abbvie-buys-into-pd-1vegf-sweepstakes-alnylam-and-vertex-set-expectations/809312/