Astellas and Poseida Partner in $50M Cell Therapy Deal

Astellas has entered into a new collaboration with Poseida Therapeutics to advance two cell therapy candidates targeting solid tumors. This partnership, facilitated through Astellas' subsidiary Xyphos Biosciences, includes an initial payment of $50 million with potential milestone payments that could total $550 million. Poseida will also receive royalties on subsequent sales.

The collaboration will leverage Poseida's allogeneic CAR-T platform in conjunction with Xyphos' ACCEL technology to create a CAR-T construct, forming the basis of the two initial candidates known as the convertibleCAR programs.

This is not the first time Poseida and Astellas have joined forces. In 2022, the companies signed an agreement focused on genetic engineering. That prior deal involved a $50 million investment from Astellas, granting them the right of first refusal for Poseida’s allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy, P-MUC1C-ALLO1, which is also being developed for solid tumors.

Poseida’s recent activities have been part of a rebuilding effort following a significant setback in July 2023 when Takeda terminated a gene therapy partnership. The initial agreement with Astellas played a crucial role in revitalizing Poseida's prospects, with Astellas acquiring an 8.8% stake in Poseida at that time.

In summary, this renewed collaboration between Astellas and Poseida aims to harness advanced CAR-T technology to develop new treatments for solid tumors. With significant financial investment and milestone potential, this partnership represents a strategic effort to advance therapeutic options in the oncology field.