Gilead’s Kite to Acquire Interius for $350M, Advancing In Vivo CAR-T Therapy

Gilead, through its Kite subsidiary, is acquiring Interius BioTherapeutics for $350 million in cash to advance in vivo CAR-T therapies1 3 4.

Interius is a pioneer in developing in vivo CAR-T technology that delivers gene therapy directly into patients, allowing CAR T-cells to be generated inside the body1 3 4.

This platform offers a "single intravenous infusion" approach, aiming to eliminate the need for complex cell processing and preconditioning chemotherapy, which are required in traditional ex vivo CAR-T therapies1 3 4.

The acquisition strengthens Kite’s cell therapy portfolio, potentially enabling more durable, scalable, and accessible CAR T treatments for blood cancers and beyond1 3.

Kite’s existing FDA-approved CAR-T products, Yescarta and Tecartus, use the traditional ex vivo approach, which involves harvesting and engineering cells outside the body before reinfusion1 4.

Gilead expects the acquisition to reduce its 2025 earnings per share by about $0.23–$0.25 due to upfront investment, reflecting a focus on long-term innovation2.

The deal awaits regulatory approval, including review under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act2.

This transaction follows other recent in vivo CAR-T deals, like AbbVie's $2.1B acquisition of Capstan and AstraZeneca's $425M buyout of EsoBiotec, highlighting growing industry focus on in vivo therapies4 5.