JUPITER, Fla., Sept. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: LGND) today announced that it has entered into a financing agreement with AvenCell Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage cell therapy company developing controllable, allogeneic CAR-T therapies for patients with cancer, for up to $47 million.

佛罗里达州朱庇特，2026年9月24日（环球电讯社）——Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated（纳斯达克股票代码：LGND）今日宣布，已与AvenCell Therapeutics, Inc.达成一项融资协议，金额高达4,700万美元。AvenCell Therapeutics是一家处于临床阶段的细胞治疗公司，致力于为癌症患者开发可控的同种异体CAR-T疗法。

The investment will help advance AvenCell’s pipeline, including AVC-201 for the treatment of relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and AVC-203 for the treatment of B-cell malignancies..

这笔投资将有助于推进 AvenCell 的产品管线，包括用于治疗复发/难治性急性髓系白血病（AML）的 AVC-201 和用于治疗 B 细胞恶性肿瘤的 AVC-203。

Under the terms of the agreement, Ligand has committed up to $41 million in exchange for a mid single-digit to low double-digit royalty on worldwide annual net sales of all current and future AvenCell pipeline assets, including AVC-201 and AVC-203, with the applicable rate determined based on the total amount ultimately funded.

根据协议条款，Ligand 承诺提供高达 4,100 万美元的资金，以换取对 AvenCell 所有当前及未来管线资产（包括 AVC-201 和 AVC-203）全球年度净销售额收取中段个位数至低段双位数比例的特许权使用费，具体适用费率将根据最终资助总额确定。

The capital will be funded in four tranches: with the first payable at closing, and the remaining three tranches payable upon achievement of certain predetermined clinical milestones and other specified financing conditions. Ligand has also committed up to $6 million in concomitant Series C financing, details of which will be announced separately..

资本将分四期注入：首期在交割时支付，其余三期则在达到某些预先确定的临床里程碑及其他特定融资条件时支付。Ligand 还承诺提供高达 600 万美元的同步 C 轮融资，相关细节将另行公布。

“AvenCell has built a differentiated cell therapy platform that brings together CRISPR-engineered allogeneic CAR-T technology with a unique switchable CAR approach designed to provide greater control over CAR-T activity,” said Todd Davis, CEO of Ligand. “We believe the combination of these technologies, together with the encouraging clinical data generated to date with AVC-201, highlights the potential of AvenCell’s platform across a broad range of diseases.

Ligand首席执行官Todd Davis表示：“AvenCell构建了一个差异化的细胞治疗平台，将经过CRISPR工程改造的同种异体CAR-T技术与独特的可开关CAR方法相结合，旨在实现对CAR-T活性的更强控制。”“我们相信，这些技术的结合，加之AVC-201迄今产生的令人鼓舞的临床数据，彰显了AvenCell平台在广泛疾病领域中的潜力。”

We look forward to working closely with the AvenCell team as it advances its pipeline of next-generation cell therapies.”.

我们期待与AvenCell团队紧密合作，推动其下一代细胞疗法产品管线的进展。

AvenCell was founded in 2021 combining switchable CAR-T technology developed by GEMoaB GmbH (now AvenCell Europe GmbH) with Intellia’s CRISPR/Cas9-based Allogeneic Engineering Technology to develop next-generation cell therapies designed to overcome key limitations of existing CAR-T treatments. AvenCell’s proprietary platform is designed to enable readily available, “off-the-shelf” cell therapies with greater control over CAR-T activity and the potential for broad application across hematologic malignancies and autoimmune diseases..

AvenCell 成立于2021年，将 GEMoaB GmbH（现为 AvenCell Europe GmbH）开发的可开关 CAR-T 技术与 Intellia 基于 CRISPR/Cas9 的同种异体工程技术相结合，旨在开发下一代细胞疗法，以克服现有 CAR-T 疗法的关键局限性。AvenCell 的专有平台旨在实现现成可用的“现货型”细胞疗法，加强对 CAR-T 活性的控制，并具备在血液系统恶性肿瘤和自身免疫性疾病中广泛应用的潜力。

The company’s lead program, AVC-201, is an anti-CD123 CAR-T currently in a Ph1b expansion trial for the treatment of relapsed or refractory AML. AvenCell is also advancing AVC-203, a Phase 1a program for B-cell malignancies.

该公司的核心项目AVC-201是一款抗CD123 CAR-T细胞疗法，目前正处于治疗复发或难治性急性髓系白血病（AML）的Ib期扩展试验阶段。AvenCell公司也在推进AVC-203项目，这是一款针对B细胞恶性肿瘤的Ia期临床项目。

“We are excited to have the support and expertise of the Ligand team as we look to advance our pipeline programs through the clinic,” said Andrew Schiermeier, President & CEO of AvenCell. “This investment provides us critical resources to support the continued development of these potentially important new treatment options for patients impacted by these difficult-to-treat cancers.”.

AvenCell 总裁兼首席执行官 Andrew Schiermeier 表示：“我们很高兴获得 Ligand 团队的支持与专业知识，以推动我们的管线项目通过临床研究。这笔投资为我们提供了关键资源，支持这些潜在重要新治疗方案的持续开发，造福于受这些难治性癌症影响的患者。”

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader served as legal advisor to Ligand.

霍金路伟卡德瓦拉德律师事务所担任利根的法律顾问。

About Ligand

关于Ligand

Ligand is a leading royalty aggregator, partnering with biopharmaceutical companies to finance and advance late-stage clinical development programs. Ligand owns and manages one of the largest and most diversified portfolios of biopharmaceutical royalties in the industry, with economic interests in more than 200 development and commercial-stage assets.

Ligand 是一家领先的特许权使用费聚合商，与生物制药公司合作，为后期临床开发项目提供资金并推动其进展。Ligand 拥有并管理着行业内规模最大、最多样化的生物制药特许权使用费组合之一，在200多个开发和商业化阶段资产中拥有经济权益。

Ligand funds high-value programs in exchange for long-term economic interests, aligning capital with clinical and commercial success. Ligand’s royalty portfolio is designed to deliver consistent and predictable revenue streams across a broad range of therapeutic assets. Ligand also licenses its proprietary technologies, Captisol® and NITRICIL™, to support drug development and formulation across its global partner network.

Ligand 通过换取长期经济利益，为高价值项目提供资金支持，使资本与临床及商业成功保持一致。Ligand 的特许权使用费组合旨在通过广泛的治疗资产提供稳定且可预测的收入流。Ligand 还向其全球合作伙伴网络授权其专有技术 Captisol® 和 NITRICIL™，以支持药物开发和制剂研究。

For more information, visit .

更多信息，请访问。

www.ligand.com

www.ligand.com

or follow Ligand on

或在以下平台关注 Ligand

X

X

and

和

LinkedIn

领英

.

。

Forward-Looking Statements

前瞻性陈述

This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters.

本新闻稿包含根据1995年美国《私人证券诉讼改革法》的安全港条款所定义的前瞻性陈述。前瞻性陈述通常伴有诸如“相信”、“可能”、“将”、“估计”、“继续”、“预期”、“打算”、“期望”、“应该”、“将会”、“计划”、“预测”、“潜在”、“寻求”、“未来”、“展望”等词语，以及类似表达，这些词语用于预测或指示未来事件或趋势，且不属于对历史事实的陈述。

These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected funding and use of proceeds under the financing arrangement; satisfaction of conditions to, and the timing and amount of, future royalty and equity investments; the development, regulatory progress, clinical performance, safety, efficacy, commercial potential and potential indications of AVC-201, AVC-203 and AvenCell’s platform and other products; the potential for AvenCell’s technologies to address limitations of existing CAR-T therapies; future sales of covered products; Ligand’s expected receipt of royalties; and Ligand’s royalty portfolio strategy and expected revenue characteristics.

这些前瞻性陈述包括但不限于，与融资安排下的预期资金筹集及资金使用相关的陈述；未来特许权使用费和股权投资的条件满足情况、时间及金额；AVC-201、AVC-203以及AvenCell平台和其他产品的开发、监管进展、临床表现、安全性、有效性、商业潜力和潜在适应症；AvenCell技术解决现有CAR-T疗法局限性的潜力；覆盖产品的未来销售；Ligand预期收到的特许权使用费；以及Ligand的特许权使用费组合策略和预期收入特征。

These statements are based on various assumptions and on the current expectations of Ligand’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and may differ from assumptions, many of which are beyond Ligand’s control. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements.

这些陈述基于各种假设以及Ligand管理层的当前预期，并非对实际业绩的预测。实际事件和情况难以或无法预测，可能与假设存在差异，其中许多假设超出Ligand的控制范围。这些前瞻性陈述受多种风险和不确定性的影响，可能导致实际结果与这些陈述所表达或暗示的结果存在重大差异。

Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the possibility that conditions t.

风险和不确定性包括（但不限于）条件可能……

Contacts

联系人

Investors:

投资者：

Melanie Herman

梅兰妮·赫尔曼

investors@ligand.com

investors@ligand.com

(858) 550-7761

(858) 550-7761

Media:

媒体：

Kellie Walsh

凯莉·沃尔什

media@ligand.com

media@ligand.com

(914) 315-6072

(914) 315-6072