US biopharma company Gilead Sciences has agreed to acquire oncology-focused biotech Arcellx in a deal valued at approximately $7.8bn, strengthening its cell therapy manufacturing and commercial capabilities ahead of a potential CAR T launch in multiple myeloma.
Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Gilead will pay $115 per share in cash, plus one contingent value right valued at $5 per share. The transaction, approved by both boards, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026.
The acquisition builds on a 2022 collaboration between Arcellx and Kite, a Gilead company, to co-develop and co-commercialise anitocabtagene autoleucel (anito-cel), an investigational BCMA-directed CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
Anito-cel's Biologics License Application (BLA) has been accepted by the FDA, with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date set for 23 December 2026.
The submission is supported by data from the Phase I study (NCT04155749) and the pivotal Phase II iMMagine1 trial (NCT05396885), evaluating the therapy in fourth-line patients.
For manufacturing stakeholders, the deal gives Gilead full control over development and commercialisation, eliminating prior profit-sharing arrangements, milestones and royalties.
This consolidation is expected to streamline decision-making across clinical development, tech transfer and commercial-scale CAR T manufacturing, particularly within Kite's established autologous cell therapy network.
In clinical studies to date, anito-cel has demonstrated deep and durable responses with a predictable and manageable safety profile, addressing some of the toxicity and durability challenges associated with earlier-generation BCMA CAR T therapies.
With many multiple myeloma patients relapsing after successive lines of treatment, demand for scalable, reliable autologous manufacturing remains high.
Beyond anito-cel, Arcellx brings its proprietary D-Domain CAR platform, which generates highly specific, high-affinity binding domains.
The technology may support next-generation CAR T constructs and bispecifics and could be leveraged in emerging in vivo cell therapy approaches—an area of growing strategic interest across the advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP) landscape.
For the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, the acquisition signals continued investment in vertically integrated cell therapy platforms, as major biopharma companies seek tighter control around complex, high-value biologics production and global supply chains.