REG - AstraZeneca PLC - Acquisition of EsoBiotec completed

AstraZenecaAnnouncement

Tue 07:00

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RNS Number : 3012J  AstraZeneca PLC  20 May 2025

20 May 2025

 

Acquisition of EsoBiotec completed

 

AstraZeneca today announced the successful completion of the acquisition
(https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2025/astrazeneca-to-acquire-esobiotec.html)
of EsoBiotec, a biotechnology company pioneering in vivo cell therapies that
has demonstrated promising early clinical activity. The EsoBiotec Engineered
NanoBody Lentiviral (ENaBL) platform empowers the immune system to attack
cancers and could offer many more patients access to transformative cell
therapy treatments delivered in just minutes rather than the current process
which takes weeks.

 

ENaBL uses highly targeted lentiviruses to deliver genetic instructions to
specific immune cells, such as T cells, which programme them to recognise and
destroy tumour cells for cancer treatment or autoreactive cells for potential
use in immune-mediated diseases. This approach enables cell therapies to be
administered through a simple IV injection and without the need for immune
cell depletion.

 

As a result of this acquisition, EsoBiotec has become a wholly owned
subsidiary of AstraZeneca, with operations in Belgium.

 

Financial considerations

AstraZeneca has acquired all outstanding equity of EsoBiotec for a total
consideration of up to $1bn, on a cash and debt free basis. This includes an
initial payment of $425m, and up to $575m in contingent consideration based on
development and regulatory milestones.

 

The transaction does not impact AstraZeneca's financial guidance for 2025.

 

Notes

 

AstraZeneca in cell therapy
(https://www.astrazeneca.com/r-d/next-generation-therapeutics/cell-therapies.html)

AstraZeneca's ambition is to realise the full potential of cell therapies. It
is focused on empowering the immune system to attack cancers, reset the
underlying drivers of immune-mediated diseases, and provide transformative
solutions with curative potential for people living with rare diseases. To
achieve this, the Company is building world-class cell therapy capabilities
and advancing a broad pipeline of cell therapies, enabled by technologies
including chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR T), T-cell receptor therapies
(TCR T) and CAR T regulatory (CAR Tregs) cells.

 

AstraZeneca in oncology
(https://www.astrazeneca.com/our-therapy-areas/oncology.html)

AstraZeneca is leading a revolution in oncology with the ambition to provide
cures for cancer in every form, following the science to understand cancer and
all its complexities to discover, develop and deliver life-changing medicines
to patients.

 

The Company's focus is on some of the most challenging cancers. It is through
persistent innovation that AstraZeneca has built one of the most diverse
portfolios and pipelines in the industry, with the potential to catalyse
changes in the practice of medicine and transform the patient experience.

 

AstraZeneca has the vision to redefine cancer care and, one day, eliminate
cancer as a cause of death.

 

AstraZeneca in Respiratory & Immunology
(https://www.astrazeneca.com/our-therapy-areas/respiratory-and-immunology.html)

Respiratory & Immunology, part of AstraZeneca BioPharmaceuticals is a key
disease area and growth driver to the Company.

 

AstraZeneca is an established leader in respiratory care with a 50-year
heritage and a growing portfolio of medicines in immune-mediated diseases. The
Company is committed to addressing the vast unmet needs of these chronic,
often debilitating, diseases with a pipeline and portfolio of inhaled
medicines, biologics and new modalities aimed at previously unreachable
biologic targets. Our ambition is to deliver life-changing medicines that help
eliminate COPD as a leading cause of death, eliminate asthma attacks and
achieve clinical remission and eventually cure in immune-mediated diseases.

 

AstraZeneca (https://www.astrazeneca.com/)

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical
company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of
prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals,
including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory &
Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca's innovative medicines are
sold in more than 125 countries and used by millions of patients worldwide.
Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on social media
@AstraZeneca.

 
Contacts

For details on how to contact the Investor Relations Team, please click here
(https://www.astrazeneca.com/investor-relations.html#Contacts) . For Media
contacts, click here (https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/contacts.html)
.

 

Matthew Bowden

Company Secretary

AstraZeneca PLC

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