Gilead's Kite Pharma has acquired Interius BioTherapeutics for USD 350 million, gaining its lentiviral vector platform for generating CAR-T and CAR-NK cells directly in patients. Interius' lead candidate INT2104, in Phase I trials for B-cell malignancies, demonstrated complete B-cell depletion in pre-clinical models with single intravenous administration. The deal accelerates Gilead's push into next-generation cell therapies that eliminate complex ex vivo manufacturing processes.

The acquisition follows AstraZeneca's USD 1 billion purchase of EsoBiotech and AbbVie's USD 2.1 billion takeover of Capstan Therapeutics in the booming in vivo CAR-T space. Over 15 Chinese biotechs including Genocury and IASO Bio are developing similar platforms, signalling potential for domestic licensing deals. Interius' second program INT2106 targets CD19+ B-cells in autoimmune diseases, expanding applications beyond oncology.

PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database lists 70 in vivo CAR-T projects worldwide under active development by nearly 50 companies. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.