Gilead’s subsidiary Kite Pharma has signed an agreement to acquire Tmunity Therapeutics, a provider of next-generation CAR T-therapies and technologies, for an undisclosed sum.
Under the terms of the agreement, Kite will acquire all the outstanding shares of Tmunity excluding those already owned by the company.
The company will continue the existing research collaboration between Tmunity and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), extending it until 2026, with an option to extend it further.
The collaboration includes research funding to Penn along with options and licenses to certain cell engineering and manufacturing technologies developed in Penn laboratories.
The acquisition is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2023, subject to the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and other customary conditions.
Upon closing, Tmunity’s employees will be transferred to Kite, and its founders will be appointed as Kite’s senior scientific advisors.
The Individual equity holders in Tmunity, including June, Levine, Riley, and Chew will be appointed as paid scientific advisors to Kite.
Tmunity founder Carl June said: “Kite has demonstrated an ability to globally scale cell therapy and address the unique challenges and opportunities that cell therapy represents.”
Tmunity non-executive chairwoman Beth Seidenberg said: “The Tmunity team is excited by the potential to become part of Kite and see what we can accomplish together to write the next chapter on what cell therapy is capable of.
“This acquisition is about unlocking ways to help more patients, and do so more quickly than either team could do alone.”
Tmunity was established in 2015 to rapidly advance early-stage cell therapy research in academia into the clinic to produce new treatments for patients with unmet needs.
Kite said that the acquisition of Tmunity will complement its existing in-house cell therapy research capabilities.
The transaction will add additional pipeline assets, and platform capabilities, along with a research and licensing agreement with Penn.
It will also provide the company with pre-clinical and clinical programs, including an armoured CAR T technology platform to enhance anti-tumour activity.
Tmunity’s prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) assets are not part of the acquisition, said the biopharmaceutical company.
Kite chief executive officer Christi Shaw said: “We believe that the impact cell therapy is making for patients today is just the start of what is possible.
“The Kite team is thrilled to be joining forces with the researchers at Tmunity who are rapidly advancing cell therapy research from the labs into the clinic through their unique partnership with the University of Pennsylvania.
“Together, we bring a deep understanding of cell therapy as an effective platform, and combined with Kite’s industry-leading global scale.”
