EsoBiotec SA, a biotechnology company pioneering in vivo cell therapies located in Belgium has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by AstraZeneca.
EsoBiotec is a leading in vivo cell therapy company with the mission to make these innovative treatments more accessible, effective and affordable. By engineering immune cells directly within the patient’s body, EsoBiotec is eliminating the barriers of traditional cell therapies and unlocking new possibilities for oncology and immune-mediated diseases.
More precisely, 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.
Traditional cell therapies require cells to be removed from a patient, genetically modified outside the body, and then readministered to the patient as a medicine after immune cell depletion, typically taking weeks. By engineering immune cells directly within the patient’s body, the EsoBiotec in vivo approach has the potential to address many of the barriers associated with traditional cell therapies, reducing complexities and manufacturing timelines, thereby increasing access for patients.
After the intended acquisition, EsoBiotec will continue operations in Belgium as a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca, further strengthening the thriving Benelux cell therapy ecosystem. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances.
Source: https://www.esobiotec.com/esobiotec-to-be-acquired-by-astrazeneca-to-advance-cell-therapy-ambition/