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3w ago

Eli Lilly to Acquire Orna Therapeutics in Up to $2.4 Billion Bet on In Vivo CAR‑T

The deal gives Lilly Orna’s circular RNA–LNP platform to generate cell therapies inside patients.

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Eli Lilly headquarters in Indianapolis.
Lilly's Orna acquisition will see the company throw its hat into the in vivo cell therapy ring, which is garnering significant attention from investors and companies alike. Image credit: ChrisStock82 via ShutterStock.com.
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Overview

  • Eli Lilly and Orna signed a definitive agreement under which Orna shareholders could receive up to $2.4 billion in cash through an upfront payment plus clinical development milestones.
  • The acquisition centers on ORN‑252, a CD19‑targeting in vivo CAR‑T candidate for B cell–driven autoimmune diseases that Orna describes as clinical‑trial ready.
  • Orna’s approach uses circular RNA delivered by lipid nanoparticles to program the body to produce therapeutic cells, a proposed alternative to the costly, complex ex vivo CAR‑T process.
  • Orna previously outlined plans to file for a first‑in‑human study of ORN‑252 in late 2025 with a 2026 start, while the acquisition announcement now characterizes the program as trial‑ready.
  • The move extends a broader big‑pharma push into in vivo cell therapies, following deals by Bristol Myers Squibb for Orbital Therapeutics and recent acquisitions by AbbVie and Gilead Sciences.