Candid Therapeutics is continuing its mission to flesh out a pipeline of T-cell engagers in record time, signing a $925 million biobucks deal with WuXi Biologics for a preclinical candidate.
The asset in question is a trispecific T-cell engager developed by WuXi’s multispecific antibody platform WuXiBody. Candid is eyeing getting the candidate into the clinic in the first half of 2026.
Helmed by biotech veteran Ken Song, M.D., Candid burst onto the scene in September 2024 equipped with a $370 million series A and T-cell engagers targeting B-cell maturation antigen and CD20 that were brought over from the concurrent acquisitions of the biotechs Vignette Bio and TRC 2004.
Since then, Candid has partnered with EpimAb Biotherapeutics, Nona Biosciences and Ab Studio to beef up its pipeline further.
Today’s deal with WuXi “further solidif[ies] our leadership position in T-cell engagers to deplete B cells for treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases,” Song explained in the Jan. 6 post-market release.
“This transaction uniquely positions us with three TCE programs targeting BCMA, CD20, and CD19 in or near clinical development,” the Candid CEO added. “We are excited to further the advances made by WuXi Biologics and to unlock the full potential of this molecule.”
Neither company went into the fine details of the transaction, only saying that the combined upfront payment, development and sales milestones could reach $925 million, on top of royalties should the candidate make it to market.
T-cell engagers are bispecific antibodies that bind to T cells and a molecule on a target cell, coercing the T cells to attack the target.
WuXi, a large biopharma service provider, has previously been tapped up by the likes of BioNTech and GSK to pad out their own antibody offerings.