Industry Daily Summary: What Happened on October 23, 2026

Gilead pays $1.275 billion upfront for PepStar’s oral drug program

Gilead agreed to pay PepStar $1.275 billion upfront for worldwide rights to its oral IL-23 receptor inhibitor program, including HCXT-2001, which is in Phase 1 trials.1 Gilead is prioritizing development for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), though it has not specified the indications it will target.1

Gilead chief medical officer Dietmar Berger said HCXT-2001’s extended half-life could distinguish it within the company’s inflammation pipeline.1 Berger said Gilead sees potential to develop the drug alone or with emvistegrast, an oral integrin inhibitor in mid-stage development for IBD that met its primary endpoint in a Phase 2 ulcerative colitis study.1

Gilead completed three acquisitions in 2026 and signed a separate licensing agreement with Vir Biotechnology as it builds its pipeline.1

Celltrion licenses Kaigene antibody in deal worth up to $580 million

Celltrion secured exclusive worldwide development and commercialization rights to Kaigene’s investigational antibody KG013 in a deal valued at up to $580 million.2 The package includes upfront and milestone payments, with sales royalties paid separately. Kaigene can also choose to co-market the drug in South Korea.2

KG013 targets APRIL, a signaling protein involved in plasma-cell survival and antibody production, to reduce harmful IgA and IgM antibodies.2 Kaigene plans to pursue IgA nephropathy first. Its chief executive said about 160,000 people in the United States have been diagnosed with the disease.2

The fully human antibody is designed for longer-lasting activity and subcutaneous dosing.2

Menarini licenses Georgiamune’s preclinical cancer candidate

Menarini licensed worldwide rights to Georgiamune’s oral cancer immunotherapy candidate GIM-621 for $45 million in upfront and near-term payments.3 Milestone payments could raise the deal’s value to $1.1 billion. Royalties are also payable.3

GIM-621 has not entered human trials.3

The companies said they intend the candidate for cancers that fail to respond to existing immunotherapies or become resistant to them.3

Also worth knowing

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  Sensorion named Peter Weber chief medical officer, effective November 2, as it prepares clinical development of a gene therapy for GJB2-related hearing loss. CRISPR Therapeutics appointed A.J. Silver chief financial officer, and Orano Med, Neovii, Repairon and Maxion Therapeutics also announced leadership changes.4

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