Novartis moved to lock in an early RNA immunotherapy pipeline by licensing Abogen Biosciences’ in vivo autoimmune T-cell engager ABO2203 in a deal worth up to $7.8 billion, including $575 million upfront. The asset is an mRNA-encoded CD19xCD3 T-cell engager intended to reset B cells through depletion. The agreement grants Novartis exclusive worldwide rights to ABO2203 and includes options to license additional assets built on Abogen’s proprietary RNA platform. Closing is subject to customary regulatory clearances, with milestone payments tied to development, regulatory and commercial progress. Abogen described the deal as a validation that its RNA platform can expand beyond prophylactic vaccines into therapeutics, while Novartis framed the approach as a complement to existing autoimmune modalities via in vivo production.