Liberate Bio Secures Myeloid-Optimized CAR Design Licenses to Advance In Vivo CAR-M Programs
Key Insights
Liberate Bio (search) has secured exclusive and non-exclusive licenses to key patents covering chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) designs optimized for myeloid cells from Carisma Therapeutics (search) and the University of Pennsylvania.
The licensed intellectual property includes methods and designs for CAR constructs specifically engineered for function within myeloid cell populations, complementing Liberate's proprietary lipid nanoparticle delivery platform.
The company's lead LNP achieved greater than 99% depletion of circulating B cells (search) in non-human primates through selective programming of monocytes (search) and macrophages (search).
Liberate Bio (search), Inc., a biotechnology company developing genetic medicines that deliver RNA therapies directly to immune cells, has secured exclusive and non-exclusive licenses to key patents covering chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) designs optimized for myeloid cells, including monocytes (search) and macrophages (search). The licensing agreement strengthens the foundation for the company's emerging CAR-M therapeutic class by adding proprietary CAR sequence intellectual property to its selective in vivo delivery platform.
The licensed intellectual property originates from Carisma Therapeutics (search) and the University of Pennsylvania, encompassing methods and designs for CAR constructs specifically engineered for function within myeloid cell populations. These designs complement Liberate's proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery platform, which selectively programs monocytes (search) and macrophages (search) in vivo.
Integrated Approach to In Vivo Cell Therapy
With both optimized CAR-sequence IP and cell-selective delivery technology, Liberate Bio (search) now integrates the critical components needed to advance in vivo CAR-M therapies toward clinical evaluation. "This licensing agreement meaningfully strengthens our clinical programs," said Walter R. Strapps, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Liberate Bio. "Myeloid cells have unique biology distinct from T cells, and CAR constructs optimized for their activation and persistence are essential. By combining validated methods for CAR designs with our myeloid-selective LNP platform, we are building a differentiated and highly integrated approach to in vivo cell therapy."
The company's proprietary RAPTOR™ platform directly screens lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in non-human primates to identify delivery vehicles that target extrahepatic immune cells. As previously reported, Liberate's lead LNP achieved greater than 99% depletion of circulating B cells (search) in non-human primates through selective programming of monocytes (search) and macrophages (search).
Clinical Development Timeline
"In vivo CAR-M represents a new chapter in immune reprogramming," said Shawn P. Davis, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Liberate Bio (search). "By uniting best-in-class delivery with optimized myeloid CAR designs, we are establishing a durable foundation for a scalable and potentially safer alternative to CAR-T (search) — one capable of reaching broader patient populations across autoimmune (search) and oncology (search) indications."
Liberate Bio (search) plans to advance its first in vivo CAR-M candidate toward IND-enabling studies, with the goal of supporting the first clinical evaluation in the second half of 2026 through an investigator-initiated trial.
Platform Technology and Future Applications
Liberate Bio (search)'s RAPTOR™ platform combines high-throughput in vivo screening in non-human primates with AI-driven design and optimization, creating what the company describes as the first biological dataset powerful enough to train artificial intelligence on real delivery outcomes. Using this feedback loop, Liberate Bio has engineered lipid nanoparticles that target specific immune and bone marrow–resident cell types, including monocytes (search), macrophages (search), and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).
This approach enables the programmable delivery of mRNA, gene editing, and other payloads directly to the cells that drive disease, unlocking the potential to treat oncology (search), autoimmune (search), and rare genetic disorders (search) from within the body. The company's first programs focus on in vivo CAR-M therapies to reprogram immune cells safely and at scale, while longer-term applications of the platform provide a foundation for a new class of AI-informed, systemically delivered genetic medicines that extend to multiple organs and therapeutic areas.