United States-based pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences has agreed to acquire Arcellx in a deal worth $7.8 billion (€6.6 billion) as the drugmaker seeks to add a CAR T-cell therapy for blood cancer treatment approaching approval to its portfolio, according to a Pharmaceutical Technology report.

Under the agreement, Gilead will pay $115 (€97) per share plus a contingent value right of $5 (€4.20) each. The deal is expected to close during the second quarter of 2026.

The acquisition follows a collaboration period between the companies beginning in 2022, when Gilead's subsidiary Kite entered a research and development partnership with Arcellx to advance anitocabtagene autoleucel (anito-cel), an investigational BCMA-directed CAR T-cell therapy for patients with multiple myeloma. Gilead currently holds an 11.5 per cent share in Arcellx.

Anito-cel, delivered ex vivo, is currently under review by the United States Food and Drug Administration, with an anticipated Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date of 23 December 2026. If approved, it will be available as a fourth-line treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

"This agreement reflects our conviction in the potential of anito-cel and our intention to move with speed so we can make the most of that potential for patients with multiple myeloma," said Daniel O'Day, chief executive officer of Gilead Sciences. "Beyond the potential launch this year, anito-cel could become a foundational treatment for multiple myeloma over time, including earlier lines of therapy."

The $5 (€4.20) contingent value right will be paid if global anito-cel sales reach $6 billion (€5 billion) by end-2029. William Blair analysts project anito-cel achieving $7.8 billion (€6.6 billion) in cumulative global sales by year-end 2029.

Access the full article on Gilead Sciences' strategic acquisition of Arcellx and CAR-T manufacturing expansion.