In a bold leap into the next era of medical innovation, Bristol Myers Squibb announced Friday it will acquire Orbital Therapeutics for $1.5 billion in cash, a move that fortifies its presence in RNA and cell-based therapies aimed at tackling autoimmune diseases.
The acquisition, one of Bristol Myers’ largest biotech deals this year, underscores the pharmaceutical giant’s growing commitment to reprogramming the immune system from within, using the cutting-edge science of RNA medicine.
Covington & Burling LLP served as legal counsel to Bristol Myers, while Goodwin Procter LLP advised Orbital on the transaction.
Inside the Science: Reprogramming Immunity Through RNA
Cambridge-based Orbital Therapeutics, a fast-rising biotech founded on pioneering RNA research, has been working to develop next-generation RNA medicines capable of retraining the body’s immune response to address the root causes of chronic and complex diseases.
At the center of the acquisition lies Orbital’s proprietary RNA platform and its flagship preclinical therapy, OTX-201, which could rewrite the playbook for how cell therapies are delivered.
Unlike traditional CAR T-cell treatments — which require extracting and modifying immune cells in a lab before reinfusing them into the patient — OTX-201 delivers RNA directly into the body, instructing immune cells to manufacture their own therapeutic CAR T cells in real time.
Bristol Myers described this internal cell engineering process as a breakthrough that could make such treatments “easier, faster, and more accessible” to patients worldwide.
