Roche CEO says stance on $1.5B Poseida acquisition unchanged despite dropping one CAR-T program

Roche bought Poseida in 2024 for $1.5 billion to secure its off-the-shelf CAR-T platform and strengthen its cell-therapy portfolio.

During the third-quarter earnings call, the company said it has stopped work on RG6540, an allogeneic CD19xCD20 CAR-T intended for blood cancers, one of the two clinical-stage assets highlighted in the deal.

CEO Thomas Schinecker told reporters that the acquisition view has not shifted, calling the transaction a good deal because much of the payment would have been required as milestone fees anyway.