Bristol Myers Squibb agreed to acquire Orbital Therapeutics for $1.5 billion to add an in vivo cell therapy program aimed at autoimmune disease to its pipeline. MedCity News reported the deal positions BMS alongside AstraZeneca, AbbVie and Gilead in using M&A to access in vivo cell therapy platforms. The acquisition brings BMS a candidate engineered to deliver cell‑reprogramming or payload activity directly in patients, a strategy that short‑circuits ex vivo manufacturing constraints and accelerates clinic readiness.