Roche has agreed to acquire the US biopharmaceutical company Poseida Therapeutics to expand its research on CAR-T cell therapies and other cell-based approaches in oncology, immunology, and neurology. The deal includes an upfront payment of approximately $1 billion, with performance-based milestone payments that could increase the total value to up to $1.5 billion.

The acquisition strengthens the existing collaboration between Roche and Poseida, who have been working on CAR-T cell therapies for hematological cancers since 2022. These personalized therapies use genetically modified T-cells from patients to target cancer cells specifically. With the acquisition, Roche also secures Poseida's pipeline, production capacities, and the underlying platform technology.

Roche plans to develop the next generation of "off-the-shelf" CAR-T cell therapies that no longer need to be manufactured specific to the patient. These should be scalable while offering improved safety and efficacy. The acquisition is expected to become an important driver for Roche's growth in the long term, with initial revenues from Poseida's pipeline starting in 2027.

The purchase price is $9 per share, a premium of over 200% on Monday's closing price of $2.86. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approvals.

According to Vontobel analyst Stefan Schneider, the acquisition seamlessly aligns with Roche's strategy presented earlier this year. Alongside its existing product pipeline, Roche relies on external growth opportunities to increase sales by 2027.

With the acquisition, Roche aims to strengthen its position in the fast-growing cell therapy market and develop new therapies for a broader range of patients.