AbbVie buys Capstan Therapeutics for $2.1B to boost next-gen cell therapy
Pharma giant AbbVie is buying Capstan Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $2.1 billion, aiming to strengthen its pipeline of treatments for immune-related diseases. Capstan is working on a new type of cell therapy called in vivo CAR-T , which could make treatments easier and more accessible for patients.
Traditional CAR-T therapies are complex —doctors have to take a patient’s cells, modify them in a lab, and then return them to the body. Capstan is trying to change that. Its technology uses tiny particles (called lipid nanoparticles) to deliver genetic instructions straight into a patient’s body, turning regular immune cells into targeted fighters — all without removing them.
Capstan’s lead drug is being tested in people with autoimmune diseases, and AbbVie believes the approach could also work for cancer and other serious conditions.
The deal gives AbbVie access to Capstan’s technology and team, helping the company grow its research in cutting-edge treatments. It’s part of a broader effort by AbbVie to find new blockbuster drugs as older ones, like Humira, face competition from generics.
With this acquisition, AbbVie joins a growing list of drugmakers investing in off-the-shelf cell therapies — treatments that could be easier to produce, more affordable, and widely available in the future.
Source:
A.M.
