The American pharmaceutical company Gilead has announced the signing of an agreement to acquire the biotechnology company Arcellx for $7.8 billion. Through this transaction, Gilead aims to strengthen its position in the field of CAR-T cell therapy for the treatment of blood cancers, particularly multiple myeloma.
This is reported by Finway
Terms of the Agreement and Strategic Collaboration
Under the terms of the agreement, Gilead will pay $115 for each share of Arcellx, as well as provide a contingent value right (CVR) of $5 per share if specified financial metrics are achieved. The completion of the deal is expected in the second quarter of 2026. This acquisition continues the partnership that began in 2022 when Gilead’s subsidiary, Kite, signed an agreement with Arcellx for joint research and development of the promising CAR-T therapy anitocabtagene autoleucel (anito-cel), targeting the BCMA protein for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma. During this time, Gilead has invested in Arcellx and currently owns 11.5% of the company’s shares.
Prospects of CAR-T Therapy and the Cell Medicine Market
Currently, anito-cel is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with a decision on approval expected on December 23, 2026. If the drug is approved for use, it will become a fourth-line therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The additional $5 per share payment will be made if global sales of anito-cel exceed $6 billion by the end of 2029. According to analysts at William Blair, total global sales of anito-cel could reach $7.8 billion by the end of 2029, increasing the likelihood of this payout.
“This agreement reflects our confidence in the potential of anito-cel and our commitment to act swiftly to realize this potential for patients with multiple myeloma.”
CAR-T is a personalized immunotherapy in which the patient’s own T cells are modified to specifically target and destroy cancer cells. To date, all approved CAR-T therapies are developed using ex vivo technology; however, interest from pharmaceutical companies in in vivo technologies is growing, and many investors view them as the future of cell and gene therapy (CGT). This trend has been pivotal in recent M&A transactions.
Among the largest recent deals is Eli Lilly’s acquisition of Orna Therapeutics, which specializes in circRNA and lipid nanoparticles, for $2.4 billion in February 2026. In October 2025, Bristol Myers Squibb invested $1.5 billion in Orbital Therapeutics and its in vivo CAR-T projects based on RNA. In July 2025, AbbVie acquired Capstan Therapeutics for $2.1 billion, focusing on developing in vivo therapies for treating B-cell mediated autoimmune diseases, distinguishing this company from most oncology startups.
According to GlobalData, investments in cell and gene therapy are becoming more selective: about half of venture deals in CGT occur at the Series B stage when companies are already moving towards the clinical implementation of innovative solutions.