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Eli Lilly agrees to acquire cancer drug maker Kelonia in deal worth up to $7 billion
The deal gives Lilly access to Kelonia’s in vivo CAR-T platform as it seeks simpler cancer treatments, with $3.25 billion upfront and milestone payments.
- On Monday, April 20, 2026, Eli Lilly and Company announced a definitive agreement to acquire Kelonia Therapeutics for up to $7.00 billion, including a $3.25 billion upfront payment, with closing expected in the second half of 2026.
- Kelonia's proprietary in vivo gene placement system, iGPS, uses engineered lentiviral particles to facilitate tissue-specific delivery and eliminate ex vivo manufacturing complexities that limit current CAR-T therapy accessibility.
- Early clinical results for KLN-1010, presented at the 2025 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, demonstrated promising tolerability and rapid, durable responses targeting the BCMA protein in multiple myeloma.
- Lilly Oncology President Jacob Van Naarden said the "early clinical data for KLN-1010 are highly encouraging," viewing the platform as proof of concept while planning to rapidly advance the therapy.
- Kelonia CEO Kevin Friedman said the iGPS platform is "positioned to broaden the reach of cell therapy" across cancers and serious diseases, extending treatment possibilities beyond current CAR-T landscapes.
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Market ScreenerLilly to acquire Kelonia Therapeutics to advance in vivo CAR-T cell therapies
/PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) and Kelonia Therapeutics, Inc. ("Kelonia"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering in vivo gene...
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