Pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences has agreed to buy Kite Pharma , a company that has developed a gene therapy for breast cancer . Through the deal , Gilead will obtain rights to Kite 's CAR - T therapy , a treatment for blood cancers such as lymphoma . The move is a clear sign that there’s huge commercial interest in the new form of cancer therapy. The therapy uses the DNA within individuals ' immune cells to attack the disease . Although no official funding for such therapies has been published , the UK 's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has said that $ 649,000 for a one - off treatment for a young patient with leukaemia is justifiable .
Pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences has agreed to buy Kite Pharma , a company that has developed a gene therapy for breast cancer . Through the deal , Gilead will obtain rights to Kite 's CAR - T therapy , a treatment for blood cancers such as lymphoma . The therapy uses the DNA within individuals ' immune cells to attack the disease . Although no official funding for such therapies has been published , the UK 's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has said that $ 649,000 for a one - off treatment for a young patient with leukaemia is justifiable .