Gilead unit to acquire cell therapy developer Interius for $350 million

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(Reuters) -Gilead Sciences’ unit Kite Pharma said on Thursday it will acquire privately-held biotech firm Interius BioTherapeutics for $350 million in cash to advance CAR T-cell cancer therapies that are delivered directly into patients.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

The acquisition will enable Kite to use Interius’ platform to deliver cell therapy directly into patients, simplifying treatment processes and reducing costs, the company said.

BY THE NUMBERS

Kite said the deal, expected to close pending regulatory approvals, will reduce Gilead’s 2025 profit per share by about 23 cents to 25 cents.

CONTEXT

In CAR T-cell therapy, a patient’s T-cells, a key part of the immune system, are modified to better recognize and attack cancer cells.

Traditional CAR T-cell therapies, including Kite’s approved blood cancer treatments Yescarta and Tecartus, involve taking immune cells from a patient. These are modified in a lab, and then put back into the patient’s body – a process that is both complex and expensive.

Interius’ so-called “in-vivo” approach uses intravenous infusion to deliver DNA directly into cells, potentially accelerating and simplifying treatments, according to the Kite.

Interest in in-vivo CAR T-cell platforms has surged, with over $2 billion invested and multiple partnerships formed recently, according to a report by clinical research firm Novotech.

The report noted that more than five in-vivo CAR T-cell programs have entered clinical trials, and disclosed assets are expected to surpass 100 by the end of 2025.

WHAT’S NEXT

After the deal is approved, Interius’ operations will merge with Kite’s research team in Philadelphia, the Gilead unit added.

(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Sneha S K; Editing by Leroy Leo)