Eli Lilly to Acquire Kelonia for Up to $7 Billion in Bid to Advance In Vivo CAR-T Cancer Therapies
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · Apr 19
Eli Lilly to Acquire Kelonia for Up to $7 Billion in Bid to Advance In Vivo CAR-T Cancer Therapies
21 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · Apr 19
Eli Lilly has agreed to acquire Kelonia Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $7 billion, including a $3.25 billion upfront payment.
Kelonia is developing in vivo CAR-T therapies, with its lead program KLN-1010 showing promising early results in multiple myeloma.
The acquisition, expected to close in the second half of 2026 pending regulatory approval, could expand Lilly's presence in genetic medicines and cancer treatment.
Will simplified CAR-T therapy actually lower treatment costs or just become another billion-dollar drug?
How will Lilly's new therapy avoid the fatal toxicities that halted a rival's in vivo CAR-T trial?
Can this new approach overcome the tumor resistance that limits current CAR-T therapies?
Is Lilly's multi-billion dollar acquisition spree a brilliant pivot from obesity or a high-stakes gamble?
What are the long-term risks of permanently editing a patient's immune cells inside their body?