Legend Biotech, a global biotechnology company, has entered into an exclusive, global license agreement with Novartis Pharma for certain Legend Biotech chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) cell therapies targeting DLL3, including its autologous CAR-T cell therapy candidate, LB2102. Novartis gains exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize these cell therapies, and may apply its T-Charge platform to manufacture them.
 
Legend Biotech is initiating clinical development of LB2102 for the treatment of extensive stage small cell lung cancer and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma after the U.S. FDA cleared its investigational new drug application in 2022. In 2023, the FDA granted the product candidate Orphan Drug Designation.
 
Legend Biotech will conduct a Phase 1 trial for LB2102 in the U.S. Novartis will conduct all other development for the licensed products. Legend Biotech will receive $100 million upfront and will be eligible to receive up to $1.01 billion in clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones and royalties. 
 
The Novartis T-Charge platform is a next-generation CAR-T cell therapy manufacturing platform designed to preserve T cell stemness and facilitate CAR-T cell expansion primarily in vivo. The T-Charge platform is designed to reduce the need for extensive culture time outside the body and results in T cells with greater proliferative potential, as well as fewer exhausted T cells. LB2102 would be the first application of T-Charge by Novartis to a cell therapy candidate targeting solid tumors.