Astrazeneca's new triple-antibody drug has been approved for clinical trials in China, intended for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus and other conditions

On April 2, the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the National Medical Products Administration of China announced that AstraZeneca's Class 1 new drug AZD5492 has been approved for two new clinical trial implicit licenses in China, intended for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus and idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. Public information shows that this is a CD20×TCR×CD8 trispecific antibody, guided by a CD8 T cell connector (TCE). The product was first approved for clinical use in China in October 2024, with indications for relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies. AZD5492 is an asymmetric trispecific monoclonal IgG1 antibody that contains two anti-CD20 Fab domains, one VHH domain that binds to TCR, and one VHH domain that binds to the CD8 co-receptor. Public information indicates that due to the specific action of anti-CD20 antibodies on B cells, they are widely developed for the treatment of B cell-related diseases, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other B cell malignancies, as well as autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, and idiopathic inflammatory myopathy