AbbVie agreed to secure an exclusive option to acquire Kestrel Therapeutics for up to $1.45 billion tied to milestones for KST-6051, its oral pan-KRAS inhibitor in solid tumors. Kestrel disclosed that dosing has begun in a Phase 1 trial. The deal would let AbbVie fund and advance the program while preserving the right to buy later, reflecting renewed Big Pharma interest in broader RAS mutation coverage rather than single-variant strategies. AbbVie’s oncology early development leadership said the partnership is intended to explore broader KRAS mutations, aligning with how longitudinal molecular monitoring and specialty workflows are reimbursed in viral-mediated oncology—while Kestrel’s asset expands that logic into the RAS biology arena.