Kite to Acquire Tmunity’s CAR-T Cell Program

Gilead Sciences subsidiary Kite Pharma has entered into a purchase deal with Tmunity Therapeutics — the company founded by CAR-T cell pioneer Carl June — gaining access to Tmunity’s “armored” CAR-T cell platform.

CAR-T cells are typically used in fighting hematologic cancers and are generally not as effective in solid tumors because those tumors present several proteins that inhibit the activity of all T cells, whether natural or engineered. But Tmunity adds receptors that block the action of these proteins, making its therapy a stronger candidate for solid tumors.

The deal also hands Kite oversight of Tmunity’s research and development collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, where June is the director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at the Perelman School of Medicine and director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023. Financial details were not disclosed.