Windward Bio Secures Ex-China Rights to Bispecific Antibody WIN027 in Deal Worth Up to $700 Million

New updates have been reported about Windward Bio (PC:WINDW)

Windward Bio AG has expanded its immunology pipeline through a licensing agreement that grants the company exclusive rights outside China to develop, manufacture, and commercialize WIN027, a long-acting bispecific antibody targeting TSLP and IL-13. The deal, executed via its affiliate LE2025 Therapeutics AG with Qyuns Therapeutics, carries a potential value of up to $700 million in upfront, equity, and milestone payments, plus tiered royalties on future sales, contingent on development, regulatory, and commercial achievements. WIN027, also known as QX027N, is in Phase 1 development and is engineered for extended half-life and less frequent dosing, with subpicomolar affinity for TSLP and IL-13, two well-validated targets in immunological diseases including asthma, COPD, and atopic dermatitis. CEO Luca Santarelli highlighted that WIN027’s potency and dosing profile are intended to deliver stronger and more durable disease control than current biologics, particularly in respiratory and dermatologic indications where convenience and sustained efficacy are key differentiators.

This is Windward Bio’s second licensing transaction in 2025 and reinforces its strategy of building a portfolio of long-acting, differentiated biologics in immunology, following its earlier in-licensing of WIN378 from Kelun Biotech and Harbour BioMed. WIN378, a long-acting anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody with half-life extension and silenced effector function, has completed Phase 1 with favorable safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity, and is now being studied in POLARIS, a global Phase 2 asthma trial, with initial data anticipated in 2026; a Phase 2 COPD study is also planned to start in 2026. By combining WIN027’s dual TSLP/IL-13 inhibition with WIN378’s focused anti-TSLP mechanism, Windward targets a cumulative market opportunity exceeding $50 billion across a broad spectrum of immunological diseases. Backed by a $200 million Series A raised earlier this year, the company now has two complementary clinical-stage assets and is positioning itself as a specialist in long-acting bispecific and monoclonal antibody therapies for high-burden respiratory and dermatologic conditions.