AbCellera Drops OX40 Antibody After Phase 1
The biotech will not advance ABCL575 for atopic dermatitis past early-stage trials, citing developments across the OX40/OX40L drug class.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Biotech
AbCellera has abandoned development of ABCL575, its OX40 ligand antibody for atopic dermatitis, after a phase 1 study that met all its endpoints. The company confirmed the decision in its third-quarter earnings release.
Why it matters
Several developers have retreated from the OX40/OX40L class in 2026, including Kyowa Kirin and Sanofi, signaling uncertainty across the approach for autoimmune diseases. AbCellera attributed its decision to external developments in that class rather than to its own trial results.
AbCellera's phase 1 study of ABCL575 met all endpoints, showing favorable tolerability and an extended dosing profile, according to company disclosures. The company has not said which specific class developments drove the decision to stop after phase 1.
The players
AbCellera
AbCellera is a Canadian biotechnology company known for antibody discovery platforms that has developed multiple candidate therapies.
Kyowa Kirin
Kyowa Kirin is a Japanese pharmaceutical company that has developed several antibody-based treatments for immune and inflammatory diseases.
Sanofi
Sanofi is a French multinational pharmaceutical company and one of the largest drugmakers in the world.
Inhibrx Biosciences
Inhibrx Biosciences is a biotechnology company developing protein-based therapeutics, including OX40-targeting agents in oncology.
The details
AbCellera was developing ABCL575 as an antibody drug targeting OX40 ligand for atopic dermatitis and other autoimmune conditions. The company said it does not plan to develop the drug beyond phase 1, citing external developments in the OX40/OX40L class.
Timeline
March 2026: Kyowa Kirin shut down all clinical studies of its anti-OX40 antibody rocatinlimab.
July 2026: Sanofi cancelled plans to submit amlitelimab to regulators for atopic dermatitis.
September 2026: Inhibrx reported phase 2 data for its OX40 agonist INBRX-106 combined with Keytruda.
November 10, 2026: AbCellera confirmed the ABCL575 discontinuation in its earnings release.
Field Context
AbCellera's exit follows Kyowa Kirin's March shutdown of rocatinlimab and Sanofi's July cancellation of amlitelimab, forming a cluster of OX40/OX40L withdrawals across the year. Inhibrx's September phase 2 data for its OX40 agonist in head and neck cancer, showing a 48.3% confirmed objective response rate, marks a divergent path into oncology.
For patients with atopic dermatitis, the withdrawal of OX40 candidates means fewer near-term treatment options from this class. The development pipeline for new eczema therapies is narrowing as several programs stall.
The takeaway
Drug class setbacks can end programs even when individual trials succeed, so investors and patients should watch class-wide signals as well as single-asset data. The OX40 retreat shows how safety questions in one developer can ripple across an entire mechanism.
Further reading
For more on drug development pipelines, explore our Biotech coverage.
