Pregene Secures Record $120M Upfront in Global In Vivo CAR-T Licensing Deal with Kite Pharma
Pregene
Cell Therapy Drug Developer
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Shenzhen Pregene Biopharma Co., Ltd. Announcement on the Signing of Authorization and Cooperation Agreement
Shenzhen Pregene Biopharma Co., Ltd. and all members of the board guarantee the truthfulness, accuracy, and completeness of the announcement content, without false records, misleading statements, or significant omissions, and assume individual and joint legal responsibility for the truthfulness, accuracy, and completeness of its content.
1. Overview of Transaction Matters
Recently, Shenzhen Pregene Biopharma Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "the Company" or "Pregene") and KITE PHARMA, INC. (hereinafter referred to as "Kite") have reached a collaboration in the field of in vivo gene-editing therapy and signed a licensing and collaboration agreement covering the global region. According to the agreement, Pregene is entitled to and has received an upfront payment totaling US$120 million (approximately RMB 854 million). Additionally, upon achieving specific milestones, Pregene is eligible to receive milestone payments totaling up to US$1.52 billion, along with sales royalties based on future net product sales. The Company will continue to actively advance this collaboration and strictly fulfill its information disclosure obligations regarding subsequent developments of the collaboration agreement in accordance with relevant regulations.
According to the relevant provisions of the "Company Articles of Association," the approval and authorization matters involved in the above transactions have been deliberated and approved by the Board of Directors and the shareholders' meeting. For specific content, please refer to the announcement of the resolution of the first extraordinary shareholders' meeting of 2025 disclosed by the company on September 16, 2025 (Announcement No.: 2025-034).
2. Basic Information of the Counterparty
1. Name: KITE PHARMA, INC.2. Place of Registration: Delaware, USA3. Establishment Time: 20094. Main Office: 2400 Broadway, Santa Monica, California, USA, ZIP code 90404 5. Introduction or Main Business: Kite is a biotechnology company focused on cell therapy. It was founded in 2009, with its headquarters in Santa Monica, California, USA, and was acquired on August 28, 2017.Gilead Sciences(Gilead Sciences) acquisition was completed on October 3, 2017, and Kite officially became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gilead.
The company mainly focuses on the research and development and commercialization of CAR-T cell therapies, with representative products including Yescarta and Tecartus, used for treating relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies. Kite has its own global production and supply network, covering the entire process of R&D, manufacturing, and commercialization. Its mission is to advance cancer cures through cell therapy, with a current focus on hematologic malignancies while also exploring applications in solid tumors.
III. Impact of This Transaction on the Company
The signing of this agreement aims to deepen research and development cooperation. By introducing partners, the company will accelerate project development, expand the breadth and depth of its R&D pipeline, and provide more high-quality treatment options for patients worldwide. This collaboration will not only help the company gain...Milestone payments as agreed in the contract andContinuous Technical Benefits, optimize the cash flow structure, effectively diversify R&D risks, and enhance the company's influence and comprehensive competitiveness in the international R&D field.
The company always adheres to the strategic concept of "emphasizing both independent research and open cooperation." On the basis of continuously strengthening endogenous development, it actively builds and expands its international cooperation system to promote the efficient transformation of R&D achievements. By integrating into the global drug innovation network, the company will further enhance its technical synergy and resource integration capabilities, maximize R&D value, and provide more high-quality innovative treatment options for patients worldwide.
IV. Risk AlertsDue to the high technology, high risk, and high added value characteristics of the company's pharmaceutical products, the cycle from clinical trial approval to production is long with many stages. The research and development of drugs and their path to market can be easily affected by some uncertain factors, and whether they can ultimately succeed in R&D remains uncertain. At the same time, the milestone payments stipulated in the agreement need to meet certain conditions, and the final milestone payment amount still has uncertainties. We respectfully remind all investors to make decisions cautiously and be mindful of investment risks.
5. Documents for Reference (1) "Resolution of the First Extraordinary General Meeting of Shenzhen Pregene Biopharma Co., Ltd. in 2025"; (2) "Authorization Cooperation Agreement between Shenzhen Pregene Biopharma Co., Ltd. and KITE PHARMA, INC.". 
Shenzhen Pregene Biopharma Co., Ltd. Board of DirectorsOctober 16, 2025
https://pharma.bcpmdata.com/，Moxie Medical Database
Reference:
NMPA/CDE；
Moxie Pharma Database, https://pharma.bcpmdata.com/;
FDA/EMA/PMDA；
Relevant company public disclosures (unless otherwise noted, images in the body of the text are from the company's official website);
https://www.pregene.com/；
https://xinsanban.eastmoney.com/QuoteCenter/874090.html；
https://xinsanban.eastmoney.com/Article/NoticeContent?id=AN202510161763322547；
；Etc.
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