Everest Medicines licenses Bejescin from Beijing Mabworks for Asia-Pacific commercialization

Everest Medicines (HKEX: 1952.HK) has secured exclusive rights to develop and commercialize [Bejescin](https://app.allsci.com/drugs/ASC-DR-0000000021562-1.0-1772718717)[ (MIL62, obinutuzumab beta injection) ](https://app.allsci.com/drugs/ASC-DR-0000000021562-1.0-1772718717)across the Asia-Pacific region under a [commercialization license agreement](https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/everest-medicines-enters-commercialization-license-agreement-with-mabworks-for-bejescin-in-the-asia-pacific-market-302791501.html) with China-based Beijing Mabworks Biotech Co., Ltd. The deal covers Southeast Asia, India, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Taiwan, while Mabworks retains Mainland China rights where the drug is already approved and commercially launched. Bejescin is a third-generation, glycoengineered anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that received China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approval in February 2026 for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) — the first CD20 antibody approved globally for that indication. The transaction arrives days after Everest separately [licensed out civorebrutinib to Travere Therapeutics](https://app.allsci.com/news/ASC-NR-0000003440159-1.0-1780398871) for up to USD 1.03 billion in milestones. Under the terms of the agreement, Everest will pay Mabworks an upfront fee of RMB 23 million (USD 3.4 million) and is eligible to pay up to RMB 186 million (USD 27.5 million) in sales milestone payments. Mabworks will also receive a share of gross profit generated in the licensed territory, though the rate was not disclosed. The total disclosed deal value reaches RMB 209 million (USD 30.9 million), excluding the profit-share component. The use of a gross profit share rather than a conventional royalty on net sales is structurally notable: it aligns Mabworks' economics more closely with Everest's actual commercial performance in the region, functioning more like a co-commercialization arrangement despite the deal being structured as a license. ### Deal context Bejescin is described by Mabworks as a novel third-generation anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody engineered through proprietary glycosylation modification to achieve near-complete afucosylation of the Fc region. This engineering approach enhances binding to FcγRIIIa on natural killer cells, producing stronger antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity relative to first-generation anti-CD20 agents such as rituximab. The molecule also operates as a Type II anti-CD20 antibody, which induces homotypic adhesion and direct cell death rather than redistributing CD20 into lipid rafts — a mechanism shared with Roche's obinutuzumab (Gazyva). Bejescin received NMPA Breakthrough Therapy Designation in October 2025 for primary membranous nephropathy (PMN), and its New Drug Application for that indication is currently under NMPA Priority Review. If approved, it would be the first targeted therapy for PMN globally. Beyond NMOSD and PMN, Bejescin is in Phase III trials for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and follicular lymphoma, giving the asset a multi-indication profile that extends well beyond its approved use. The clinical and commercial breadth of this pipeline is significant for Everest's APAC licensing economics: the upfront and milestone figures disclosed reflect only the current approved indication, while the gross profit share provides ongoing upside as additional approvals are obtained across the licensed territory. Everest's ability to execute this agreement is directly tied to infrastructure it has been assembling at pace. In April 2026, the company [acquired Hasten Biopharmaceuticals' Asia-Pacific commercial platform for USD 250 million](https://app.allsci.com/news/ASC-NR-0000002367452-1.0-1779381220), consolidating a pan-regional footprint spanning 14 marketed products and approximately 120 field force personnel across multiple APAC jurisdictions. That acquisition provided the regulatory, medical affairs, and distribution infrastructure needed to support product launches in markets such as South Korea and Australia, where Bejescin would otherwise require Everest to build commercial capabilities from scratch. The Mabworks deal is among the first major product additions to that newly acquired platform. *** This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed and edited by the AllSci editorial team Explore more at AllSci News: [https://allsci.com/news/](https://allsci.com/news/) --- Spot something wrong? [Report an issue with this article](https://newsgen-prod.reframedata.com/feedback/everest-medicines-bejescin-license-licenses-from)