Gilead’s Kite Pharma struck a strategic alliance with China’s Pregene Biopharma to develop next‑generation in vivo CAR‑T therapies, paying $120 million up front and creating a potential deal value of about $1.64 billion. The collaboration pairs Kite’s global development footprint with Pregene’s in vivo CAR‑T platform and manufacturing know‑how. Company statements say the partnership aims to accelerate proof‑of‑concept studies in oncology and autoimmune diseases and to streamline path to clinic. The deal underscores Big Pharma’s continued appetite for in vivo CAR‑T approaches as companies seek scalable alternatives to conventional ex‑vivo cell therapies.