AbbVie has agreed to acquire Apogee Therapeutics for $10.9bn, potentially further fortifying its legacy in the immunology space and marking another sizeable investment into the disease area as it garners notable big pharma interest.
In exchange for Apogee’s four-strong, clinical-stage immunology pipeline, AbbVie will hand over $135.11 per share in cash to the biotech – marking a near 50% premium on the company’s closing stock price on 18 June. AbbVie expects this deal to close in Q3 2026.
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At the centrepiece of this takeover is Apogee’s novel injectable anti-IL-13-therapy, zumilokibart, which is due to enter a Phase III study in atopic dermatitis (AD) in the second half of 2026. Apogee has designed the drug, formerly known as APG777, as a “pipeline-in-a-product” asset with an extended half-life for long-acting efficacy, meaning Apogee hopes zumilokibart could offer as a treatment suitable for either quarterly or biannual maintenance dosing.
Following its pipeline-in-a-product ambitions for zumilokibart, Apogee is also exploring the drug’s potential in asthma and eosinophilic oesophagitis, with trials in these indications expected to begin in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
According to AbbVie, zumilokibart’s differentiated profile could hold “mega-blockbuster peak sales potential” due to its promise as a “best-in-category” option with strong efficacy and improved dosing in patients with AD. If zumilokibart were to make it to market, it could further cement AbbVie’s position as a key player in the immunology space, as it revels in the past and present successes of blockbuster therapies like Skyrizi (risankizumab), Rinvoq (upadacitinib) and Humira (adalimumab).
The high-profile buyout will also see AbbVie absorb the rights to some clinical-stage combination therapies harnessing zumilokibart, including APG279, which combines anti-IL-13 activity with OX40 ligand binding for the treatment of AD, and APG273, which marries zumilokibart with thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) inhibitor for use in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Immunology takes pharma’s fancy as biopharma sentiments heighten
While AbbVie has long been a stalwart in the immunology space, it appears that big pharma companies are increasingly betting on the disease area, as onlookers see the success of blockbuster therapies like Skyrizi and Johnson & Johnson’s Stelara (ustekinumab) play out.
Several high-profile deals in the space, including Biogen’s recent acquisition of RayThera, Lilly’s development collaboration with Innovent Biologics, and GSK’s takeover of RAPT Therapeutics, provide evidence of this.
According to previous coverage in Pharmaceutical Technology’s sister publication, Clinical Trials Arena, immunology trials are on the rise, with their proportional representation in terms of overall trial initiations nearly doubling between 2021 and 2025.
The maturing interest in the immunology space comes amid a positive biopharma backdrop, as GlobalData’s State of the Biopharmaceutical Industry 2026 (Mid-Year Update) report reveals that executive confidence in the industry has hit a four-year high. According to a survey of 157 pharmaceutical professionals, 55% are either optimistic or very optimistic about industry growth over the next year, reflecting the sector’s ability to successfully navigate the evolving modern geopolitical landscape.
This comes as a report from PwC reveals that the value of life sciences and pharma dealmaking surpassed $65bn in Q1 2026, marking the highest value seen in a single quarter since the same period in 2020.
