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AbbVie to buy Capstan for up to $2.1 billion in immunology push
- 6/30/2025
(Reuters) -U.S. drugmaker AbbVie said on Monday it will acquire cell therapy developer Capstan Therapeutics in a cash deal worth up to $2.1 billion, expanding its pipeline with experimental treatments for autoimmune diseases.
AbbVie has been diversifying its portfolio to make up for a steep decline in the sales of Humira, its flagship rheumatoid arthritis drug that is facing stiff competition.
Since Humira's patent expiration, AbbVie has spent over $20 billion on acquisitions, including $8.7 billion for neuroscience firm Cerevel, $10.1 billion for cancer drugmaker ImmunoGen and $1.4 billion for Alzheimer's-focused biotech Aliada.
Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie will pay up to $2.1 billion in cash to acquire Capstan, subject to certain customary adjustments.
Capstan develops CAR-T therapies, a type of treatment that uses a patient's own immune cells, specifically T cells, to fight diseases. Its main drug, CPTX2309, is currently in early-stage development for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
The drug works by using tiny fat-based particles called lipid nanoparticles to deliver instructions to certain immune cells, which find and remove harmful cells that mistakenly attack the body.
The deal aims to strengthen AbbVie's already strong position in immunology, building on the success of autoimmune treatments Skyrizi and Rinvoq, which are expected to generate over $31 billion in combined sales by 2027.
(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas)