BioNTech Expands Cancer Therapy Pipeline With U.S. Purchase

BioNTech plans to strengthen its U.S. market presence by acquiring a novel cancer drug production facility from Gilead Sciences subsidiary Kite Pharma.

Under the deal, BioNTech will acquire Kite Pharma’s solid tumor neoantigen T-cell receptor platform and its manufacturing plant in Gaithersburg, Md. The facility will support U.S. clinical trials and complement BioNTech’s cell therapy production plant in Idar-Oberstein, Germany.

The Maryland plant would also help BioNTech expand its novel cell therapy portfolio, which includes cancer drugs developed from its CAR-T cell amplifying messenger RNA-based vaccine.

Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.