Roche Completes .5 Billion Acquisition of Poseida Therapeutics, a Leader in CAR-T Therapy Development
Roche has reached a merger agreement with Poseida Therapeutics, planning to acquire Poseida’s shares at a rate of each. In addition, a potential bonus of per share will be given upon the achievement of specified milestones, amounting to a total equity valuation of .5 billion. This merger is set to allow Roche to develop a new fundamental capability that emphasizes allogeneic cell therapy, incorporating CAR-T programs for a variety of conditions, including oncology and autoimmune diseases.
Poseida Therapeutics, hailing from San Diego, specializes in the advancement of cell and gene therapies. Their pipeline features candidates for CAR-T cell therapies targeting blood cancers, autoimmune disorders, and solid tumors, alongside experimental genetic medicines.
Through this acquisition, Roche aims to leverage Poseida’s advanced genetic engineering technologies, which comprise a site-specific gene editing system, a non-viral DNA delivery method, nanoparticle gene delivery technology, and the firm’s own GMP-compliant cell therapy manufacturing facilities. This infrastructure empowers Poseida to create, develop, and produce CAR-T therapies rich in allogeneic T stem cell memory cells (TSCM). Poseida asserts that these T cells are particularly suited for CAR-T therapies due to their longevity, multipotency, and self-replication capabilities, potentially offering enhanced safety and efficacy compared to traditional CAR-T approaches.
Kristin Yarema, President and CEO of Poseida Therapeutics, remarked, “Poseida has exhibited the distinctive capability of its proprietary non-viral technology platform in developing allogeneic, TSCM-rich CAR-T therapies that promise to enhance clinical outcomes and broaden access to this critical class of treatments.” She noted that this potential has been underscored by the encouraging interim clinical results for P-BCMA-ALLO1 in patients with multiple myeloma.
Roche and Poseida had initiated a collaboration in 2022, during which Roche licensed Poseida’s two primary cell therapy candidates. The lead program, P-BCMA-ALLO1, commenced clinical trials in 2022 targeting multiple myeloma, followed by P-CD19CD20-ALLO1, which began trials earlier this year aimed at B-cell malignancies.
Yarema expressed enthusiasm about the merger, stating, “Having collaborated closely with Roche on hematologic cancers, we are thrilled to unite as colleagues, advancing our pipeline and future projects together. Roche’s extensive capabilities in late-stage development and commercialization will facilitate global patient access to the transformative potential of allo CAR-T.”