Senti Biosciences Inc. (Senti Bio) has announced it secured an additional $11.5 million in financing to support its ongoing development of cell and gene therapies. This includes approximately $10 million from a private placement equity financing and $1.5 million from a California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) grant. The funding is expected to extend the company's cash runway into 2026.
SENTI-202 Shows Promise in Hematologic Malignancies
Senti Bio's lead program, SENTI-202, a Logic Gated CD33 and/or FLT3-targeting CAR-NK cell therapy, has demonstrated promising initial clinical data. As of September 19, 2024, the therapy achieved complete remissions in 2 out of 3 patients in the first dose level evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial for relapsed/refractory hematologic malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The preliminary safety profile was generally well-tolerated. Dose escalation is ongoing, with additional response and durability data expected in 2025.
Expansion into Solid Tumors with SN301A
Senti Bio is also expanding its focus to solid tumors. The first patient has been dosed in a dose-finding clinical trial in China evaluating the safety and preliminary anti-tumor activity of SN301A (SENTI-301A manufactured in China) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This trial, conducted in collaboration with Celest Therapeutics, marks a significant step in Senti Bio's efforts to address a broader range of cancers.
Gene Circuit Platform
Senti Bio is leveraging its synthetic biology platform called Gene Circuits to create therapies with enhanced precision and control. These Gene Circuits are designed to precisely kill cancer cells, spare healthy cells, increase specificity to target cells, and control the expression of drugs even after administration. The company's pipeline includes off-the-shelf CAR-NK cells, outfitted with Gene Circuits, to target challenging liquid and solid tumor indications. Preclinical data has demonstrated that Gene Circuits can function in T cells and have potential in other cell and gene therapy modalities and diseases outside of oncology. Senti Bio is also advancing these capabilities through partnerships with Roche/Spark Therapeutics and Bayer/BlueRock Therapeutics.
