As­traZeneca makes $1B deal for Gra­cell and its cell ther­a­pies, adding to Chi­na ties

As­traZeneca will pay $1 bil­lion to buy Chi­na-US cell ther­a­py com­pa­ny Gra­cell Biotech­nolo­gies, adding to a rush of deals that have been an­nounced at the end of 2023 to shore up big phar­ma pipelines.

For As­traZeneca, the lat­est ac­qui­si­tion marks two key moves: gain­ing a foothold in the ris­ing tide of au­toim­mune cell ther­a­pies and fur­ther­ing its place in the Chi­nese biotech ecosys­tem, which CEO Pas­cal So­ri­ot has pre­vi­ous­ly said was on his shop­ping list.

Unlock this article instantly by becoming a free subscriber.

You’ll get access to free articles each month, plus you can customize what newsletters get delivered to your inbox each week, including breaking news.

SIGN UP LOG IN BECOME A PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER