AbbVie has agreed to acquire Capstan Therapeutics for up to $2.1 billion, aiming to expand its footprint in the emerging in vivo CAR-T therapy market. Capstan’s lipid nanoparticle-based mRNA delivery platform enables direct in vivo generation of CAR-T cells, addressing challenges of traditional ex vivo approaches, including manufacturing complexity and patient conditioning. The acquisition includes Capstan’s Phase 1 anti-CD19 autoimmune candidate CPTX2309 and preclinical programs targeting oncology and fibrosis. AbbVie seeks to leverage this technology to accelerate its immunology and oncology pipelines amid a competitive CAR-T landscape.