J&J returns rights to lymphoma CAR‑T therapy prizlon‑cel to AbelZeta

Johnson & Johnson secured exclusive rights to the bispecific CAR T candidate prizlon‑cel in 2023, paying an upfront $245 million.

The therapy, designed for large B‑cell lymphoma, achieved a 100% response rate in a Phase 1b study of ten patients when used as a second‑line option.

In July 2026 J&J announced it is handing the rights back to the original developer, AbelZeta, and will no longer pursue the program.

AbelZeta will continue developing prizlon‑cel for third‑line or later treatment of large B‑cell lymphoma, with financial terms of the return not disclosed.