Lilly bets on in vivo CAR-T with $2.4B Orna Therapeutics deal
Eli Lilly agreed to acquire Orna Therapeutics for up to $2.4 billion to gain an in vivo CAR-T platform using engineered circular RNA delivered by lipid nanoparticles, led by ORN-252 targeting CD19 for autoimmune diseases; terms include upfront and milestone-based payments. The deal follows a wave of pharma acquisitions in this space as Lilly expands its genetic medicines pipeline and Orna has drawn funding and collaborations since its 2021 launch.