Gilead announced Tuesday that it will acquire the privately held German company Tubulis GmbH for up to $5 billion, as the U.S. drugmaker seeks to expand its pipeline with a lucrative class of experimental cancer drugs called “guided missiles.”
Under the terms of the sale and purchase agreement, Gilead will acquire all of the outstanding equity of Tubulis for $3.15 billion in upfront cash consideration on a cash-free, debt-free basis, subject to customary adjustments, which is payable at closing, and up to $1.85 billion in contingent milestone payments.
This marks the latest move in Gilead’s acquisition spree. The company has been expanding beyond its main growth areas amid looming patent expirations and declining sales of its COVID-19 treatment, Veklury.
Daniel O’Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gilead Sciences, told investors, “The agreement to acquire Tubulis is a significant milestone in Gilead’s progress in oncology. The company brings a clinical-stage candidate that is a potential new treatment for ovarian cancer, as well as a next-generation ADC platform and a promising early pipeline.”
“Today’s agreement follows a two-year collaboration with Tubulis, which has given us strong conviction in their programs and research capabilities. Bringing this potential into Gilead would further expand what is already the strongest and most diverse pipeline in our company’s history.”
Dominik Schumacher, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Tubulis, commented, “From the outset, we believed our conjugation technology platforms could have broad impact across the ADC field and the initial data from TUB-040 have reinforced that conviction.”
“Joining Gilead allows us to build on this foundation within an organization that brings deep scientific expertise, global development capabilities, and the scale needed to translate innovation into medicines for patients worldwide. Through our existing collaboration, Gilead has already seen the potential of our technologies and together, we are well positioned to accelerate the development of our ADC pipeline. I’m deeply grateful to the Tubulis team, our Board of Directors, investors, and partners for their commitment and helping make this milestone possible.”
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
