Gilead company Kite has expanded its existing partnership with Arcellx for the latter’s CART-ddBCMA candidate to include lymphomas.

The parties entered an international strategic deal in December 2022 to jointly develop and market a CART-ddBCMA candidate for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Kite has now exercised its licence option for ACLX-001, an ARC-SparX programme of Arcellx in multiple myeloma.

Arcellx is entitled to receive an equity investment of $200m in exchange for 3,242,542 shares of its common stock.

The funding will offer 13% ownership of Arcellx to Gilead.

Arcellx is also eligible to receive $85m in upfront non-dilutive cash payment, separately from milestone payments in the future.

The deal will close by the end of 2023.

A BCMA-specific CAR-modified T-cell therapy of Arcellx, CART-ddBCMA is currently in a Phase II clinical trial.

Kite executive vice-president Cindy Perettie stated: “We are pleased to see the momentum with the CART-ddBCMA multiple myeloma programme, enabling Kite to enter an area of high unmet need and bring a new, potentially best-in-class cell therapy to patients.

“Given this, we are deepening our relationship with Arcellx to further support the advancement of CART-ddBCMA, bolster our pipeline in multiple myeloma [and] access opportunities in lymphoma.

“In expanding our strategic partnership with Arcellx, we are building upon the established synergy between Arcellx’s platform technologies and Kite’s industry-leading position in CAR T manufacturing and commercialisation.”

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