Apogee Therapeutics Inc. loaded up on what could total as much as $1.3 billion in financial fuel from Blackstone Life Sciences funds that will be used to propel zumilokibart (zumi), which yielded positive phase II results in atopic dermatitis (AD). A phase III experiment with the anti-IL-13 antibody is planned for the second half of this year, pending talks with regulators.
In a competitive and still-needy space where Apogee Therapeutics Inc. CEO Michael Henderson noted that “even modestly differentiated products are quickly becoming blockbusters,” his firm’s IL-13 antibody zumilokibart (zumi, APG-777) has turned up satisfying phase II data in part A of the phase II atopic dermatitis (AD) experiment called Apex in moderate to severe disease. “We’re still digesting the data,” Henderson added, pointing out that the results proved better than Apogee expected at both time intervals tested.
For years, the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM) kicked off with splashy headlines of major M&A activity among biopharma companies, but in 2026, the hype outweighed reality and in the end, no major merger announcements were made during the conference for companies developing therapeutics.
Apogee Therapeutics Inc. plans to enter a crowded atopic dermatitis market with established drugs, such as Dupixent (dupilumab, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sanofi SA) and Ebglyss (lebrikizumab-lbkz, Eli Lilly and Co.), which are sold by much larger competitors. But the company thinks it can compete with its anti-IL-13 antibody, APG-777, thanks to the drug’s 77 day half-life that may allow it to be dosed only two to four times a year in the maintenance phase, compared to 13 to 26 injections per year for the established competitors.
APG-777 is an anti-IL-13 humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) designed to block Th2 inflammatory signaling mediated by the IL-13Rα1/IL-4Rα complex, while APG-990 is a fully human anti-OX40L mAb that that blocks type 1/2/3 inflammatory signaling. Apogee Therapeutics Inc. is studying the combination effects of APG-777 and APG-990 as potential therapy for atopic dermatitis (AD).
Researchers from Apogee Therapeutics Inc. and Paragon Therapeutics Inc. have reported the preclinical characterization of APG-333, a half-life extended monoclonal antibody targeting thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a cytokine secreted by epithelial cells that acts as an alarmin in response to environmental insults.
Apogee Therapeutics Inc. has selected a development candidate for its APG-990 program, a subcutaneous half-life extended monoclonal antibody targeting OX40L, initially being developed for atopic dermatitis.
Apogee Therapeutics Inc.’s phase I home run put IL-13-targeting antibody APG-777 on an accelerated development path in atopic dermatitis, and the company touted its similarity to further-along IL-13 competitor lebrikizumab, from Eli Lilly and Co., as a likely indicator of further success.
Apogee Therapeutics Inc. recently presented preclinical data on its lead candidate, APG-777, a fully optimized and half-life extended antibody targeting IL-13 for the treatment of atopic dermatitis and asthma.
Two biopharma companies entered the public markets on July 14, with Apogee Therapeutics Inc. pricing a $300 million IPO, the second largest U.S. debut this year, and Sagimet Biosciences Inc. raising $85 million. Apogee, of San Francisco, and Waltham, Mass., is advancing APG-777 and APG-808, which are in development for atopic dermatitis (AD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, while San Mateo, Calif.-based Sagimet’s lead candidate is the FASN inhibitor denifanstat for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
