Lakefront Biotherapeutics sells CAR‑T programs to Armed Cell Therapeutics

Lakefront Biotherapeutics, a Belgian company that renamed itself from Galapagos, sold its early‑stage CAR‑T cell therapies to a new startup called Armed Cell Therapeutics. Armed Cell will receive 8 million euros up front and could earn up to 230 million dollars later. The package includes two “armed” CAR‑T programs ready for human trials in non‑Hodgkin lymphoma and small‑cell lung cancer, plus three other projects still in pre‑clinical work.

New ownership of CAR‑T therapies

Armed CAR‑T therapies are designed to bypass the resistance that limits ordinary cell treatments in solid tumors. They use multiple payloads and different molecular binders to stay active. John Mellors, the company’s chief scientific officer, said the programs “are meant to overcome relapse in lymphoma and the suppressive environment of solid tumors.”

Lakefront had faced clinical setbacks and a shift toward bispecific antibodies, so it split its focus. Under former Galapagos boss Paul Stoffels, it had poured resources into cell therapy, a move that surprised investors. The sale to Armed Cell, now led by former Galapagos executive Willemijn Kremer, returns the research to a company dedicated to advancing the programs for patients. Lakefront chief business officer Sooin Kwon said the deal “provides a path to keep these assets moving forward.”