argenx's FB102 meets Phase 2 goal in coeliac disease

What's the deal? argenx on 8 October 2026 announced positive topline results from the Phase 2 study of FB102, its first-in-class antibody that blocks CD122 (a cell-surface receptor involved in immune signalling in the gut), in adults with coeliac disease. The FB102-301 study enrolled 126 patients on a strict gluten-free diet and met its primary endpoint: change from baseline in the ratio of villus height to crypt depth — a biopsy measure of intestinal damage — at day 78 versus placebo (p=0.0176) under a controlled eight-week gluten challenge. This is the first Phase 2 evidence that blocking CD122 can protect the gut lining from gluten-induced damage and prevent symptoms.

Why it matters: Coeliac disease currently has no approved drug treatment — patients must rely on a lifelong gluten-free diet. FB102 is the first clinical readout from the Forte Biosciences pipeline that argenx acquired in August 2026, and it validates CD122 as a therapeutic target in the disease. argenx plans to advance FB102 into Phase 3 and is also evaluating it in vitiligo and alopecia areata. Detailed data will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.

Read more: GlobeNewswire, 8 October 2026