AbbVie said Monday it has struck a definitive agreement to buy Capstan Therapeutics in a cash transaction worth up to $2.1 billion, strengthening the drugmaker’s immunology portfolio with early-stage cell-therapy programs. The acquisition, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, will be funded entirely in cash at closing, the companies said.
San Diego-based Capstan is developing in vivo chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies that aim to reprogram a patient’s immune cells directly inside the body. Its lead candidate, CPTX2309, uses a targeted lipid nanoparticle to deliver mRNA encoding an anti-CD19 CAR to cytotoxic T cells and is in Phase 1 testing for B-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. Capstan, launched in 2022 and backed by roughly $340 million in venture funding, also brings AbbVie a proprietary tLNP platform that could broaden applications of the technology to fibrosis and cancer.
The deal underscores AbbVie’s drive to replenish revenue lost after arthritis blockbuster Humira faced biosimilar competition last year and highlights escalating large-pharma interest in next-generation, off-the-shelf cell therapies that could offer broader patient access than traditional ex vivo CAR-T treatments.