AbbVie Acquires Capstan Therapeutics to Strengthen Immunology Portfolio with Potential First-in-Class CAR-T Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases.

AbbVie has completed its acquisition of Capstan Therapeutics, adding a potential first-in-class tLNP anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy candidate for B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases and a proprietary tLNP platform. The acquisition strengthens AbbVie's ability to deliver new treatments aimed at resetting the immune system and enables broader application of Capstan's technology for in vivo programming of cells.

AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has completed its acquisition of Capstan Therapeutics, adding a potential first-in-class targeted lipid nanoparticle (tLNP) anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy candidate for B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases, as well as a proprietary tLNP platform designed to deliver RNA payloads. This acquisition aims to strengthen AbbVie's ability to deliver new treatments aimed at resetting the immune system and expand the broader application of Capstan's technology for in vivo programming of cells.

Capstan's lead asset, CPTX2309, is currently in Phase 1 for the treatment of B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. It is a tLNP that generates CD19-specific, CD8+ in vivo CAR-T cells, designed to achieve rapid and deep B cell depletion with the aim of achieving durable, drug-free remission. This approach can be accomplished without the need for lymphodepleting chemotherapy, while also avoiding other challenges associated with conventional ex vivo CAR-T therapies.

Jonathon Sedgwick, Ph.D., senior vice president and global head of discovery research at AbbVie, expressed excitement about the acquisition, stating, "The addition of CPTX2309 and Capstan's tLNP platform strengthens our ability to deliver new treatments aimed at resetting the immune system and enables application of Capstan's proprietary technology more broadly for in vivo programming of cells."

The acquisition aligns with AbbVie's mission to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. AbbVie continues to focus on key therapeutic areas such as immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care, as well as products and services in its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.

For additional background on the acquisition, please refer to the press release announcing the definitive agreement under which AbbVie will acquire Capstan [1].

References:

[1] https://news.abbvie.com/2025-08-19-AbbVie-Completes-Acquisition-of-Capstan-Therapeutics
[2] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abbvie-completes-acquisition-of-capstan-therapeutics-302533462.html