Appia Bio leverages the biology of lymphocyte development with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T-cell receptor (TCR) gene engineering to generate CAR-engineered invariant natural killer T (CAR-iNKT) cell subtypes from hematopoietic stem cells.

In August 2021, the Kite unit of US biotech major Gilead Sciences signed a collaboration and license agreement with Appia Bio to research and develop HSC-derived cell therapies directed toward hematological malignancies.

Under the terms of the agreement, Appia Bio will be responsible for pre-clinical and early clinical research of two HSC-derived CAR-iNKT product candidates engineered with CARs provided by Kite. The Los Angeles-based company will receive an upfront payment, an equity investment, and additional milestone payments for a total value of up to $875 million as well as tiered royalties.