The Life Sciences team advised Kelonia Therapeutics, Inc. (“Kelonia”) on a definitive agreement for Eli Lilly and Company to acquire Kelonia. Kelonia has developed a proprietary in vivo gene placement system (iGPS0) that uses specially engineered lentiviral-based particles designed to efficiently and selectively enter T-cells inside the body, allowing the patient’s own body to generate chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies that can treat underlying disease. Under the terms of the agreement, Lilly will acquire Kelonia, and Kelonia shareholders will receive up to $7 billion in cash, inclusive of an upfront payment of $3.25 billion, and subsequent payments upon achievement of certain clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones.
Kelonia Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new wave of genetic medicines using its in vivo gene placement system (iGPS). Kelonia’s elegant, cutting-edge in vivo gene delivery technology uses an advanced lentiviral vector particle harboring envelope modification to improve in vivo gene transfer efficiency and tropism molecules to facilitate tissue-specific delivery. Kelonia is building a pipeline of genetic medicines across a range of diseases, with the bold goal of making CAR-T cell therapies accessible to every patient in need, when and where they need them. Kelonia’s lead candidate, KLN-1010, is an in vivo anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial. Kelonia was incubated and seed funded by Venrock.
The Goodwin team was led by Rachael Bushey, Allison P. Nicklin, Sarah Solomon, Evan Lee, Neil Doogan, Jennifer Ford, Julia Shaver, Spencer Kahn, Madeleine Popp, Nick O'Grady, Hayden Hunt, Bonnee Nie, Hugh Rennie, Dan Karelitz, Gregg Coughlin, Sarah Bock, James Devendorf, Dasol Lee, Jennifer Fay, Michael Faikes, Arman Oruc, Danielle Fong, Bill Christiansen, Duncan Greenhalgh, Susan Lee, Joseph Harrington, Jonathan Ishee, and Michael Paluzzi.
For more information on the deal, please read the press release.