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Acquisition · Gilead · Oncology · Tubulis
Gilead will acquire Germany-based Tubulis GmbH for up to $5 billion, comprising $3.15 billion upfront cash and $1.85 billion in milestone payments, significantly bolstering its oncology pipeline with experimental antibody-drug conjugates.
This acquisition is part of Gilead's aggressive strategy to expand beyond its core areas, driven by impending patent expiries and declining COVID-19 treatment sales. It follows recent deals, including the February acquisition of Arcellx for up to $7.8 billion and Ouro Medicines for over $2 billion last month.
The deal grants Gilead access to Tubulis' "guided missile" antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology, which delivers chemotherapy directly to cancer cells. RBC Capital Markets analyst Brian Abrahams stated this acquisition is a strategically sound bolt-on addressing Gilead's oncology pipeline growth needs and securing next-gen ADC platform capabilities.
Tubulis' lead asset, TUB-040, is in early-stage development for ovarian and non-small cell lung cancer, targeting the NaPi2b protein, while TUB-030 is being studied for various solid tumor types. Tubulis CEO Dominik Schumacher emphasized the competitive data from their early trials and the accelerated path to patients with Gilead as a partner.
The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter, after which Tubulis will operate as an ADC research organization within Gilead.
