The ambition behind the I-Mab/ABL Bio deal

Shanghai, China-based biotech startup I-Mab Biopharmaplans to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in the USA later this year for three candidates, including two for oncology and one for autoimmune diseases, said I-Mab Biopharma chief executive Jingwu Zang last week in Shanghai at a media event for licensing out a lgG-like, bispecific monoclonal antibody (Bsab) to the South Korean biotech startup ABL Bio.

Based on interviews with company executives, by our China correspondent, Wang Fangqing, reports that the licensing deal with ABL also includes co-funding and co-developing three I-Mab’s Bsabs, at least one of which is best in class. Under the agreement, I-Mab will do functional characterization while ABL will generate molecules, according to the two companies.

“I-Mab innovates for the global market, and we have three ways to achieve it,” said Dr Zang.