20th May 2025 08:55
(Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC on Tuesday said it has completed its acquisition of Belgian biotechnology firm EsoBiotec SA, bolstering its cell therapy capabilities with a platform that could significantly accelerate cancer treatment delivery.
EsoBiotec develops in vivo cell therapies using its Engineered NanoBody Lentiviral platform, or ENaBL.
The Cambridge-based pharmaceuticals maker said the platform enables genetic instructions to be delivered directly to immune cells such as T cells, allowing them to target and destroy tumour cells. Unlike traditional cell therapies that require weeks of complex processing, ENaBL enables treatment via a simple intravenous injection.
AstraZeneca said ENaBL could enable therapy treatments to be delivered "in just minutes rather than the current process which takes weeks".
The acquisition, initially announced in March, sees AstraZeneca pay USD425 million up front, with an additional USD575 million in potential milestone payments, bringing the total consideration to up to USD1 billion. EsoBiotec is now a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca.
AstraZeneca said the transaction will not affect its financial guidance for 2025.
Shares in AstraZeneca were up 0.1% at 10,380.00 pence each in London on Tuesday.
By Eva Castanedo, Alliance News reporter
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