AstraZeneca has entered the “off-the-shelf” cell therapy space, penning a $1 billion deal to acquire EsoBiotec and its lentiviral vector platform. The deal will see AstraZeneca scoop up all outstanding equity of the Belgian biotech for a total consideration of $1 billion—split between an upfront payment of $425 million and up to $575 million in developmental and regulatory milestones. Bringing EsoBiotech onboard will give AstraZeneca access to the biotech’s Engineered NanoBody Lentiviral (ENaBL) platform, which uses lentiviruses to deliver genetic instructions to T cells to recognize and destroy either tumor cells for cancer treatment or potentially autoreactive cells for immune-mediated diseases. The resulting cell therapies can be administered via an intravenous injection as opposed to the standard process for autologous cell therapies, where the cells are removed from their body, genetically modified and then readministered.

Full story : AstraZeneca pays up to $1 billion for Belgian biotech firm, EsoBiotec ‘that could transform cell therapy.’