Bristol Myers Squibb & Co. ( BMY ) on Friday agreed to acquire Orbital Therapeutics, a privately held biotechnology company focused on RNA medicines that reprogram the immune system in vivo.

The US drug giant agreed to pay $1.5 billion in cash.

“In vivo CAR T represents a novel treatment approach that could redefine how we treat autoimmune diseases,” said Robert Plenge, executive vice president, Chief Research Officer, BMS. “This acquisition enhances our robust cell therapy research platform and provides an opportunity to advance a potential best-in-class therapy designed to deplete autoreactive B cells and reset the immune system.”

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The acquisition includes Orbital’s lead RNA immunotherapy preclinical candidate, currently in IND-enabling studies, OTX-201, which comprises an optimized circular RNA encoding a CD19-targeted CAR for in vivo expression delivered via targeted lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).

The in vivo approach, in which the patient’s body manufactures CAR T-cells, can offer a reduced treatment burden and improved accessibility compared to ex vivo CAR T-cell therapies.

Additionally, Bristol Myers will acquire Orbital’s proprietary RNA platform, which integrates circular and linear RNA engineering, advanced LNP delivery, and AI-driven design to enable durable, programmable RNA therapies tailored to the distinct biology of a broad spectrum of diseases.

“With the acquisition of Orbital Therapeutics and its next-generation RNA platform, we have an incredible opportunity to make CAR T-cell therapy more efficient and accessible to more patients,” said Lynelle B. Hoch, president, Cell Therapy Organization, BMS.

Price Action: BMY stock was trading lower by 1.23% to $44.13 at last check Friday.

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