Gilead announced June 23 it will buy 49.9 percent of San Francisco-based immunotherapy company Pionyr for $275 million, with the option to buy out the company entirely.
The deal will allow Gilead to take on Pionyr's technology, namely its myeloid-tuning therapy, which rebalances a tumor's microenvironment to privilege immune-activating cells over immune-suppressing ones. Gilead is focusing on PY314 and PY159, Pionyr's two preclinical antibodies developed to enhance anti-tumor immunity.
The myeloid-tuning technology exhibits potential to treat patients who are resistant to checkpoint inhibitor therapies.
"The agreement represents important progress as we continue to build out Gilead's presence in immuno-oncology with innovative and complementary approaches," Daniel O'Day, Gilead's CEO, said in a news release.