Johnson & Johnson, through its subsidiary Janssen Biotech, has partnered with Sail Biomedicines, a U.S. biotechnology company, to develop innovative treatments for immune-mediated diseases using a new approach called in vivo CAR-T therapy. This collaboration aims to improve how these diseases, such as autoimmune conditions, are treated. As part of the agreement, Johnson & Johnson will pay Sail Biomedicines $785 million upfront, with an additional $140 million possible if certain development goals are met. Johnson & Johnson also has the option to fully acquire Sail Biomedicines for $2.58 billion in the future. Other major pharmaceutical companies, like AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly, have already invested in similar therapies, and Gilead recently acquired another company, Arcellx, for $7.8 billion to expand its CAR-T therapy efforts. The focus of this collaboration is Sail Biomedicines’ new in vivo CAR-T program, designed to treat autoimmune diseases. Sail’s technology uses a system called eRNA™, which combines carefully designed genetic instructions, tiny particles called nanoparticles, and manufacturing processes to deliver precise therapeutic instructions to specific cells in the body, controlling how long the effects last. John Reed, Executive Vice President of Innovative Medicine Research & Development at Johnson & Johnson, explained, “Sail’s innovative platform represents an exciting new approach that seeks to harness the power of CAR-T therapy in a simpler, more scalable way. By working together with Sail, we aim to speed up the development of new treatments that could dramatically change how immune diseases are managed.” John Mendlein, Executive Chairman of Sail Biomedicines and Executive Partner at Flagship Pioneering, added, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Johnson & Johnson’s scientists and leadership to bring life-changing treatments to millions of people with immune diseases.” These agreements are subject to standard conditions, such as regulatory approvals. Earlier this year, Johnson & Johnson also invested $1 billion to expand its cell therapy manufacturing capabilities in the U.S., part of a larger $55 billion plan to grow its research and manufacturing footprint in the country by 2029.