20 May 2025
Acquisition of EsoBiotec
completed
AstraZeneca today announced the successful
completion of the
acquisition of EsoBiotec, a biotechnology company pioneering in
vivo cell therapies that has demonstrated promising early clinical
activity. The EsoBiotec Engineered NanoBody Lentiviral (ENaBL)
platform empowers the immune system to attack cancers and could
offer many more patients access to transformative cell therapy
treatments delivered in just minutes rather than the current
process which takes weeks.
ENaBL uses highly targeted lentiviruses to deliver
genetic instructions to specific immune cells, such as T cells,
which programme them to recognise and destroy tumour cells for
cancer treatment or autoreactive cells for potential use in
immune-mediated diseases. This approach enables cell therapies to
be administered through a simple IV injection and without the need
for immune cell depletion.
As a result of this acquisition, EsoBiotec has
become a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca,
with operations in Belgium.
Financial considerations
AstraZeneca has acquired all outstanding equity of
EsoBiotec for a total consideration of up to
$1bn, on a cash and debt free basis. This includes an initial
payment of $425m, and up to $575m in contingent consideration based
on development and regulatory milestones.
The transaction does not impact AstraZeneca's
financial guidance for 2025.
Notes
AstraZeneca in
cell therapy
AstraZeneca's ambition is to realise the full
potential of cell therapies. It is focused on empowering the immune
system to attack cancers, reset the underlying drivers of
immune-mediated diseases, and provide transformative solutions with
curative potential for people living with rare diseases. To achieve
this, the Company is building world-class cell therapy capabilities
and advancing a broad pipeline of cell therapies, enabled by
technologies including chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR T),
T-cell receptor therapies (TCR T) and CAR T regulatory (CAR Tregs)
cells.
AstraZeneca in oncology
AstraZeneca is leading a revolution in oncology
with the ambition to provide cures for cancer in every form,
following the science to understand cancer and all its complexities
to discover, develop and deliver life-changing medicines to
patients.
The Company's focus is on some of the most
challenging cancers. It is through persistent innovation that
AstraZeneca has built one of the most diverse portfolios and
pipelines in the industry, with the potential to catalyse changes
in the practice of medicine and transform the patient
experience.
AstraZeneca has the vision to redefine cancer
care and, one day, eliminate cancer as a cause of death.
AstraZeneca
in
Respiratory & Immunology
Respiratory & Immunology,
part of AstraZeneca BioPharmaceuticals is a key disease area and
growth driver to the Company.
AstraZeneca is an established leader in
respiratory care with a 50-year heritage and a growing portfolio of
medicines in immune-mediated diseases. The Company is committed to
addressing the vast unmet needs of these chronic, often
debilitating, diseases with a pipeline and portfolio of inhaled
medicines, biologics and new modalities aimed at previously
unreachable biologic targets. Our ambition is to deliver
life-changing medicines that help eliminate COPD as a leading cause
of death, eliminate asthma attacks and achieve clinical remission
and eventually cure in immune-mediated diseases.
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global,
science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the
discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription
medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals,
including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory
& Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca's innovative
medicines are sold in more than 125 countries and used by millions
of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the
Company on social media @AstraZeneca.
Contacts
For details on how to contact the Investor
Relations Team, please click here.
For Media contacts, click here.
Matthew Bowden
Company Secretary
AstraZeneca PLC
