Sobi Signs $580m Licensing Deal for Innate’s Lacutamab

Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi) has signed a licensing deal worth up to $580 million with Innate Pharma for global rights to lacutamab, a first-in-class antibody in development for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Announced on 10 August 2026, the deal supports Innate’s confirmatory Phase III TELLOMAK-3 study and comes as the French biotech seeks accelerated approval for lacutamab in the rare Sézary syndrome subtype of CTCL.

Under the terms of the deal, Sobi will pay $75 million upfront to help Innate initiate the Phase III TELLOMAK-3 study, plus $40 million in near-term milestones for the Sézary syndrome programme, and up to $465 million more if Sobi elects to secure full development rights following positive Phase III results. Sobi receives exclusive global commercialisation rights if lacutamab secures accelerated approval, plus worldwide development rights conditional on positive Phase III results, with Innate entitled to double-digit royalties on eventual sales. Innate is pursuing accelerated approval for lacutamab in Sézary syndrome based on positive Phase II TELLOMAK results.

Lacutamab is a first-in-class anti-KIR3DL2 antibody that controls immune cell activity via a receptor frequently overexpressed in CTCL patients, and has received Fast Track designation from the FDA and PRIME designation from the EMA. Innate CEO Jonathan Dickinson framed the Phase III advancement as a pivotal moment for the company, alongside forthcoming milestones for its Nectin-4 ADC IPH4502 and its immune checkpoint inhibitor monalizumab. The CTCL market has seen recent commercial activity from Pfizer/Takeda’s Adcetris and Amneal’s romidepsin, though multiple assets have failed regulatory clearance including Karyopharm’s selinexor, 4SC’s Kinselby and Soligenix’s HyBryte.

The commercial signal is a rare disease oncology category where a fragmented development landscape and repeated regulatory failures have left commercial space for differentiated first-in-class agents. Sobi’s rare disease commercialisation infrastructure combined with Innate’s clinical pipeline positions the partnership well. Expect Pfizer/Takeda, Amneal Pharmaceuticals and other CTCL players to sharpen their positioning as lacutamab advances toward regulatory decision.

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