US EditionEli 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 and a lead multiple myeloma drug that showed early clinical promise in four patients.
- 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.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Eli Lilly Invests Weight-Loss Windfall in Next-Gen Cancer Treatment
Eli Lilly is stocking its medicine cabinet with treatments that go beyond blockbuster GLP-1 drugs. On Monday, the pharma giant announced it’ll buy blood cancer treatment-maker Kelonia Therapeutics in a deal worth as much as $7 billion. Lilly will pay about $3.3 billion up front under the terms of the agreement, expected to close in the back half of the year, and the rest if Kelonia hits specified regulatory and commercial milestones. Kelonia is…
Eli Lilly Buys Kelonia Therapeutics for $7 Billion to Boost Cancer Treatment Pipeline
Eli Lilly and Company announced on April 20 that it will acquire clinical-stage cancer biotechnology company Kelonia Therapeutics for $7 billion. The acquisition expands Eli Lilly’s pipeline into experimental cancer treatments, specifically in vivo genetic therapy. Kelonia Therapeutics is advancing CAR-T genetic medicines that reprogram a cancer patient’s T-cells to fight cancer and underlying diseases. Its lead program, KLN-1010, targets cancer…
The US pharmaceutical company pays up to seven billion dollars for the acquisition. Eli Lilly wants to become more independent from a business with the acquisition.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 68% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
