J&J Halts Two CAR-T Programs Acquired from Cellular Biomedicine for $245M Upfront

On April 30, Johnson & Johnson announced that it is studying CD20CAR-T Cell TherapyJNJ-9530and CD19/CD20 CAR-TCell TherapyJNJ-4496The program will be discontinued. This is a strategic business decision based on the company’s portfolio priorities and an evaluation of the evolving treatment landscape for large B-cell lymphoma.

According to the study protocol,The candidate drugs are in Phase 1 and Phase 1/2 trials.Patients currently participating in these ongoing clinical trials will continue to receive support. Johnson & Johnson remains firmly committed to a wide range of pioneering oncology therapies and will continue to prioritize projects that are most likely to transform patient care.

In 2023, Johnson & Johnson approached Cellular Biomedicine（CBMG Biotech) Paid 245 million US dollarsMeta-prepayment, acquired JNJ-9530 and JNJ-4496. June 2025,Johnson & JohnsonShared Phase 1b Data of JNJ-4496 in Large B-Cell Lymphoma, Reporting a Complete Response Rate of 75% to 80% in Second-Line and Later Patients at the Recommended Dose.

In 2023, Johnson & Johnson's subsidiary Janssen Biotech andCilagMan Biotechnology Group(CBMG) has signed a global collaboration and licensing agreement,Co-develop and commercialize the next-generation novel CAR-T cell therapy products C-CAR039 (targeting CD19/CD20) and C-CAR066 (targeting CD20) for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).JanssenObtain exclusive development rights for C-CAR039 and C-CAR066 outside of China, as well as the right of first refusal for development within China.JanssenPay $245 million upfront. CBMG will also be eligible for potential development, regulatory, and sales milestones, as well as tiered royalties on future sales.

At a Morgan Stanley event in September last year, Dr. John Reed, Head of R&D at Johnson & Johnson, statedJNJ-4496 PresentationWith the best disease opportunity and the best complete response rate reported so far, the next step is to enter Phase 3 clinical trials.

At that stage, CAR-T therapy seemed poised to fulfill the fate Johnson & Johnson had predicted for it during an investor event in 2023. The company listed its CD20-based CAR-T program as one of the assets expected to reach the market by 2030 and achieve peak sales exceeding $5 billion. Its vision is to add the candidate pipeline to Johnson & Johnson's BCMA product Carvykti, forming part of a series of groundbreaking CAR-T therapies.

Johnson & Johnson has abandoned this dream, eliminating potential competitors to Gilead's CD19/CD20 CAR-T cell therapies KITE-363 and KITE-753.Gilead SciencesThese two dual-targeted candidate drugs are being tested in Phase 1/2 trials. JW Therapeutics released the Phase 1 clinical data of its CD19/CD20 CAR-T cell therapy last year.

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