Antengene doses first patient in Phase 1 trial of ATG-201 T-cell engager for autoimmune diseases

What's the deal? Antengene, a commercial-stage biotech based in Shanghai and Hong Kong, announced on 6 November 2026 that the first patient has been dosed in China in the Phase 1 ATTRACT study of ATG-201, its CD19 × CD3 bispecific T-cell engager (an engineered antibody that bridges two immune cell types at once) for adults with B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases — conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. The study is also being initiated in Australia, where it has received ethics approval and completed the regulatory notification process.

Why it matters: ATG-201 is designed to eliminate CD19-expressing B cells, the immune cells that produce the harmful antibodies driving these disorders, using a masking technology intended to make the drug act precisely on disease-driving cells while aiming to reduce side effects. Patients with refractory autoimmune diseases face low remission rates, high relapse risk and long-term safety concerns with current options. The programme is partnered with UCB, which holds worldwide exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise ATG-201, while Antengene runs the Phase 1 studies in China and Australia. The candidate builds on Antengene's AnTenGager platform of next-generation T-cell engagers spanning autoimmune diseases, solid tumours and blood cancers.

Read more: PR Newswire, 6 November 2026