There have been two big recent mergers-and-acquisitions involving Philadelphia life science companies. Today, Philadelphia’s Adaptimmune announced a merger with TCR2 Therapeutics. And about two weeks ago, the acquisition of Philly’s Tmunity by Gilead’s Kite closed. Let’s take a closer look at these deals and what it means for the growing Philly cell and gene therapy community.
Cellicon Valley companies closed out 2022 with a roar. Madrigal Pharmaceuticals announced a breakthrough in NASH that could result in the first-approved drug for that disease. Galera Therapeutics closed out December with plans to seek approval for its severe oral mucositis therapy.
A Gilead Sciences company, Kite announced Tmunity’s next-generation CAR-T therapies and technology will complement its own cell therapy research capabilities. Kite’s acquisition of Tmunity, founded by Carl June, creates a strong bridge between the BioHealth Capital Region, where Kite maintains its manufacturing capabilities in Frederick, and the Greater Philadelphia biohub.
Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), and Tmunity Therapeutics (Tmunity), today announced that the companies have signed an agreement in which Kite will acquire Tmunity, a clinical-stage, private biotech company focused on next-generation CAR T-therapies and technologies. The acquisition of Tmunity complements Kite’s existing in-house cell therapy research capabilities by adding additional pipeline assets, platform capabilities, and a strategic research and licensing agreement with the University of Pennsylvania (Penn).
As some are now calling it, the greater Philadelphia region, or ‘Cellecon Valley, is garnering a lot of attention these days as a rapidly emerging Biopharma cluster, earning a defining spot among the top 10 clusters in the US.
Neil Sheppard is an Immunologist educated in the UK at the Universities of Bristol and Oxford. He has over 18 years’ experience in the fields of vaccines and immunotherapies, including over a dozen years leading drug discovery and development programs in Big Pharma and Biotech.
