Roche Acquires Poseida in $1.5 Billion Deal to Advance Cell Therapy Innovation

Roche has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Poseida Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in donor-derived CAR-T cell therapies. Valued at up to $1.5 billion, the deal positions Roche as a leader in the emerging field of off-the-shelf cell therapies, targeting oncology, immunology, and neurology.

This acquisition builds on the existing partnership between Roche and Poseida, established through a collaboration and license agreement in 2022 focused on developing off-the-shelf CAR-T therapies. Poseida’s employees and technologies will now join Roche, with the goal of transforming cell therapy accessibility and advancing patient care on a global scale.

“This exciting acquisition will allow us to drive further progress in allogeneic cell therapy while leveraging the successful existing partnership with Poseida,” said Levi Garraway, Head of Product Development and Chief Medical Officer at Roche. “We are very encouraged by the early clinical data, and this acquisition builds on our joint progress to catalyse the development of potentially first and best-in-class cell therapies in oncology, immunology and neurology.”

A Strategic Leap in Cell Therapy

Roche will purchase Poseida at $9.00 per share in cash, representing a total equity value of approximately $1 billion. Additionally, Poseida stockholders may receive a contingent value right (CVR) of up to $4.00 per share in cash, dependent on achieving specific milestones. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025.

Poseida, headquartered in San Diego, California, has garnered attention for its advancements in allogeneic CAR-T therapies, which offer the promise of scalable and accessible treatments for a variety of diseases, including hematological malignancies, solid tumors, and autoimmune disorders.

Pioneering Allogeneic Therapies

Poseida’s innovative pipeline includes several high-impact programs:

• P-BCMA-ALLO1: An allogeneic CAR-T therapy targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), currently in clinical trials for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. It has received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation and FDA Orphan Drug Designation.
• P-CD19CD20-ALLO1: A dual-target CAR-T therapy in Phase 1 trials for B-cell malignancies. Investigational New Drug (IND) applications have also been filed to explore its use in autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and lupus.
• P-MUC1C-ALLO1: A CAR-T therapy targeting solid tumors, currently in early-phase trials.

Additionally, Poseida’s preclinical assets and genomic medicine technologies will bolster Roche’s capabilities in cell therapy development.

Strengthening Collaboration

Aviv Regev, Head of Genentech Research & Early Development, highlighted the transformative potential of this partnership: “Our interest in cell therapy is directly tied to our commitment to discovering and developing pioneering medicines with substantial patient benefit. We are excited to bring together cutting-edge scientific approaches and expertise to tap into the full transformative potential of cell therapy.”

This acquisition signals a significant step forward in the development of accessible and scalable cell therapies. Off-the-shelf CAR-T treatments, unlike traditional patient-specific approaches, can be manufactured at scale, reducing costs and improving availability for broader patient populations.