The US company's mission is to find a cure for cancer and puts this at the heart of everything it does, from early research to product development.

Currently, the company is one of the market leaders in engineered T cell therapy, transforming cancer treatment with what is potentially the biggest breakthrough since the introduction of combination chemotherapy more than 60 years ago.

To bring about this transformation, Kite Pharma is developing innovative products that harness a patient’s own immune system to target and kill cancer cells. Early clinical studies in patients who were treated with engineered T cells have produced dramatic results thus far, up to and including complete remission of cancer in some patients who have aggressive disease and have not responded to other therapies.

In December 2016, Kite Pharma became the first to initiate a CAR-T therapy biologics license application with the US Food and Drug Administration as it sought approval for KTE-C19 as a treatment for patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant.

Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD) acquired Kite in 2017 for $11.9 billion, marking a major expansion into the cell therapy space. 

With US approval, Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) became the first CAR-T therapy for certain blood cancers. Gilead focused on scaling Kite's manufacturing capabilities and expanding its cell therapy pipeline. 

Over time, Kite established itself as a key player in oncology, with Yescarta and Tecartus (brexucabtagene autoleucel) gaining expanded approvals. 

Gilead has since reinforced its commitment to cell therapy, investing in manufacturing improvements and additional pipeline assets, positioning Kite as a cornerstone of its oncology strategy.