AstraZeneca AZN announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire EsoBiotec for developing in vivo cell therapies for multiple cancer indications or immune-mediated diseases. EsoBiotec is a biotechnology company specializing in “in vivo” cell therapies with promising early clinical results.
The acquisition will integrate EsoBiotec’s proprietary ENaBL platform, which empowers the immune system’s ability to target cancers, into AstraZeneca’s portfolio. This technology has the potential to expand patient access to transformative cell therapy treatments, delivering results in minutes instead of the current weeks-long process. The deal will allow EsoBiotec to leverage AZN’s vast resources and expertise in cell therapies to accelerate the development of their in vivo platform which has a novel delivery technology that is expected to have broad therapeutic applicability.
ENaBL utilizes highly targeted lentiviruses to deliver genetic instructions to specific immune cells, such as T cells, programming them to recognize and eliminate tumor cells for cancer treatment or autoreactive cells for potential use in immune-mediated diseases. This innovative approach allows cell therapies to be administered through a simple IV injection without requiring immune cell depletion, making the treatment process more efficient and patient-friendly.
In contrast, traditional cell therapies involve extracting a patient’s cells, modifying them genetically outside the body, and then reintroducing them after immune cell depletion, a process that typically takes weeks. By enabling immune cell engineering directly within the patient’s body, EsoBiotec’s in vivo approach has the potential to overcome many of the challenges associated with traditional cell therapies. This advancement reduces complexities and manufacturing timelines, ultimately improving accessibility for patients.
In three months, shares of AstraZeneca have gained 20% compared with the industry’s 3.9% growth.
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Financial Considerations for AZN’s Acquisition of EsoBiotec
AstraZeneca will acquire EsoBiotec for up to $1 billion on a cash- and debt-free basis. This includes an initial payment of $425 million upon deal closure, with up to $575 million in additional payments contingent on achieving certain development and regulatory-based milestones.
The acquisition is expected to be finalized in the second quarter of 2025, pending customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. AstraZeneca has stated that the transaction will not affect its financial guidance for 2025.
AZN Partners With Alteogen for Several Oncology Assets
In a separate press release, AstraZeneca announced that it has in-licensed worldwide rights to Alteogen’s novel hyaluronidase enzyme, ALT-B4, for the development and commercialization of subcutaneous formulations of multiple oncology assets. ALT-B4 has been developed utilizing the Hybrozyme platform technology.
Per the deal, Alteogen is responsible for the clinical and commercial supply of ALT-B4 to AZN. Subcutaneous formulations can provide several benefits, including saving time for patients, clinical staff, and healthcare systems by reducing administration durations.
AstraZeneca is liable to make an undisclosed upfront payment to Alteogen for the global rights to ALT-B4, along with additional payments upon achievement of specific development, regulatory and sales-related milestones.
If the in-licensing deal results in commercialized products in the future, AstraZeneca will also have to pay royalties on the sales of such products to Alteogen. AZN clarified that the transaction will not affect its financial guidance for 2025.
AstraZeneca currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Some better-ranked stocks from the sector are Gilead Sciences GILD, BioMarin Pharmaceutical BMRN and Corcept Therapeutics CORT, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
In the past 30 days, Gilead Sciences’ earnings estimate for 2025 has improved from $7.81 to $7.87 per share. During the same timeframe, the estimate for earnings per share for 2026 has improved from $8.03 to $8.27. In three months, shares of Gilead Sciences have gained 22.9%.
GILD’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 19.47%.
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BMRN’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 32.36%.
In the past 30 days, the estimate for Corcept Therapeutics’ 2025 earnings per share has decreased from $1.85 to $1.84. The estimate for 2026 earnings per share has decreased from $3.10 to $3.05. In three months, shares of Corcept Therapeutics have gained 6.8%.
CORT’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, delivering an average surprise of 20.08%.
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