AbelZeta Pharma and AstraZeneca have entered into an agreement to jointly develop and commercialize C-CAR031 in China.[1][2][3] It is an autologous CAR-T therapy targeting Glypican-3 (GPC3) that is intended for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other GPC3-positive solid tumors.[1][2][4] C-CAR031 is based on AstraZeneca's AZD5851 technology with a TGFβRII dominant negative armoring platform and is manufactured by AbelZeta in China.[1][2][3] According to preliminary data from an investigator-initiated trial presented at AACR 2023, C-CAR031 shows promising antitumor activity, robust pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles in patients with advanced HCC.[1][2][3] China accounts for 466,000 new cases of HCC annually, accounting for about 50% of global new cases, and about 45% of global HCC deaths occur in greater China.[2][4] AbelZeta will receive an upfront payment from AstraZeneca for the co-development and commercialization of C-CAR031 in China, as well as milestone payments and royalties for the global development of AZD5851 outside of China.[1][2][3] AstraZeneca will exclusively develop, manufacture and commercialize AZD5851 outside of China.[1][2][4]