AstraZeneca has announced an agreement to acquire EsoBiotec, securing the biotechnology firm’s pioneering in vivo cell therapy platform that has shown promising early clinical results.
Under the terms of the transaction, AstraZeneca will acquire EsoBiotec for up to $1 billion on a cash and debt-free basis, comprising an initial payment of £425 million upon closing and potential additional payments of up to £575 million tied to development and regulatory achievements.
Through the acquisition, AstraZeneca will obtain EsoBiotec’s innovative Engineered NanoBody Lentiviral (ENaBL) platform, a groundbreaking technology that employs highly targeted lentiviruses to deliver genetic instructions directly to specific immune cells within the patient’s body.
Once delivered, these instructions programme the cells to identify and eliminate tumour cells for cancer treatment, or target autoreactive cells for potential application in immune-mediated diseases.
Traditional cell therapies involve a cumbersome process—removing cells from patients, modifying them externally, and then reintroducing them after immune cell depletion.
This typically requires weeks of preparation. EsoBiotec’s approach, by contrast, allows for administration through a simple intravenous injection without the need for immune cell depletion, potentially transforming treatment from weeks to minutes.
“We are excited about the acquisition of EsoBiotec and the opportunity to rapidly advance their promising in vivo platform,” said Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President, Oncology Haematology R&D, AstraZeneca.
“We believe it has the potential to transform cell therapy and will enable us to scale these innovative treatments so that many more patients around the world can access them. EsoBiotec will accelerate and expand the impact of our recent investments and marks a major step forward in realising our ambition to harness the full potential of cell therapy.”