Biogen agreed to an exclusive worldwide license for Vanqua Bio’s preclinical C5aR1 antagonist, paying $70 million upfront and up to $990 million in milestones. Under the deal Biogen will lead development, manufacturing and commercialization, while Vanqua retains rights to focus on its neuroscience pipeline. Company statements cite robust preclinical data and an expected IND filing timeline targeting 2027. The transaction pushes Biogen further into immunology, adding an innate‑immune target—C5aR1—linked to inflammation control. Vanqua CEO Jim Sullivan highlighted Biogen’s scale for late‑stage development; Biogen’s research head Jane Grogan framed the deal as a strategic expansion of the company’s innate and adaptive immunology capabilities.