SANTA MONICA, CA & PHILADELPHIA, PA — Kite, a Gilead company (Nasdaq: GILD), has agreed to acquire Interius BioTherapeutics for $350 million in cash, a move aimed at bringing in vivo chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology into Kite’s cell therapy portfolio.
Interius’s platform is designed to generate CAR T-cells inside the patient through a single intravenous infusion. By inserting therapeutic DNA directly into the patient’s genome, the approach seeks to deliver durable effects without the cell harvesting, engineering, reinfusion, or preconditioning chemotherapy required by today’s ex vivo CAR T therapies. The company says its modular architecture can be adapted across diseases and scaled in manufacturing, potentially widening access—especially for patients with fast-progressing illness.
“In vivo therapy is a promising frontier with the potential to transform how we approach treating patients, shifting to more accessible and scalable solutions,” said Cindy Perettie, executive vice president of Kite. “By combining Interius’s teams and their novel platform with Kite’s deep expertise and footprint in cell therapy research, development and manufacturing, we aim to advance best-in-class in vivo therapies to bring them to patients more efficiently.”
Interius’s staff and operations will join Kite’s research organization, forming a Philadelphia-based center of excellence focused on next-generation in vivo therapies.
“This marks a pivotal step for Interius and the future of in vivo therapy, which has the potential to reduce treatment timelines, broaden access to care and improve outcomes for patients with aggressive or advanced disease,” said Phil Johnson, president and CEO of Interius BioTherapeutics. “With the addition of Kite’s deep expertise and global infrastructure, we’re well-positioned to move quickly into multiple therapeutic areas, expand access to cell therapies and deliver meaningful innovation to patients.”
Under the terms, Kite will acquire all outstanding Interius shares for $350 million at closing, subject to customary adjustments. Gilead expects the deal to reduce its 2025 GAAP and non-GAAP earnings per share by approximately $0.23 to $0.25. The transaction is subject to expiration or termination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period and other customary closing conditions. TD Cowen is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Kite, and Evercore is advising Interius.
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