Tagged News
Elicera's iTANK-Armed CAR T-Cell Therapy Shows Complete Response in Lymphoma Patients
• Elicera Therapeutics reports that two out of three patients in the first cohort of the CARMA study achieved complete metabolic response with ELC-301, an iTANK-armed CD20-targeting CAR T-cell therapy.
• The promising results were achieved despite using only one-tenth of the planned maximum dose in a challenging patient population, including one patient who had previously failed standard CD19 CAR T-cell therapy.
• The Phase I/IIa CARMA study has already progressed to its second cohort, where patients are receiving a dose three times higher than the initial cohort, with further data expected as the trial advances.
NUS Researchers Develop NExT: A Revolutionary Gene Delivery Platform for Cancer Immunotherapy
• Researchers at the National University of Singapore have developed Nanostraw Electro-actuated Transfection (NExT), a non-viral technology that efficiently delivers genetic material into immune cells with minimal disruption.
• The NExT platform can transfect over 14 million immune cells in a single run with up to 94% efficiency for proteins and 80% for mRNA, while maintaining essential tumor-fighting characteristics.
• This breakthrough could significantly reduce manufacturing costs and improve accessibility of CAR-T cell therapies, which currently cost approximately S$670,000 per infusion in Singapore.
Waters Acquires Halo Labs to Enhance Biologic Therapy Analysis Capabilities
• Waters Corporation has acquired Halo Labs, gaining specialized imaging technology that detects particles in cell, protein, and gene therapies with capabilities beyond standard methods.
• The Aura platform's subvisible particle technology provides critical insights for CAR T-cell therapies by detecting translucent process impurities that conventional methods miss.
• This strategic acquisition strengthens Waters' position in specialized analytical technologies for emerging biopharmaceuticals, particularly supporting quality control in advanced therapy development.
Poolbeg Pharma Secures £4.1 Million Fundraising to Advance Clinical Programs in Oncology and Obesity
• Poolbeg Pharma has announced a £4.1 million conditional fundraising to advance its POLB 001 Phase 2a trial for cancer immunotherapy-induced Cytokine Release Syndrome and oral GLP-1 proof of concept trial for obesity.
• The fundraising comprises a £2.655 million placing, £1.345 million in direct subscriptions, and up to £100,000 from a retail offer, with shares issued at 2.5 pence each, representing a 12% discount to the previous closing price.
• The proceeds will extend Poolbeg's cash runway into 2027, supporting multiple near-term clinical data catalysts including first patient dosing for POLB 001 in H2 2025 and topline data expected in H2 2026.
Aging Impairs CAR-T Cell Therapy Effectiveness Through Metabolic Decline, Swiss Study Reveals
• New research from Swiss institutions demonstrates that age-related immune decline significantly reduces the effectiveness of CAR-T cell cancer therapy by impairing mitochondrial function and metabolism.
• Scientists identified decreased levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) as the key factor behind reduced antitumor activity in CAR-T cells from older individuals.
• Researchers successfully rejuvenated aged CAR-T cells by restoring NAD levels in preclinical models, suggesting potential strategies to improve immunotherapy outcomes in older cancer patients.
Lymphodepletion Enhances MAR-T Cell Therapy Efficacy in Lymphoma Patients, Marker Therapeutics Reports
• Marker Therapeutics' Phase 1 APOLLO study shows lymphodepletion significantly improves expansion and persistence of MT-601 MAR-T cells in lymphoma patients, potentially enhancing anti-tumor activity.
• Early clinical data reveals promising efficacy with 78% objective response rate and 44.4% complete response rate in patients who relapsed after or are not candidates for anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy.
• The non-genetically modified MAR-T cell approach targets six different tumor antigens, demonstrating excellent safety with no dose-limiting toxicities while potentially offering manufacturing advantages over current engineered T cell therapies.
Related Clinical Trials:
Marker Therapeutics, Inc.
Posted 1/2/2023
Novel BAFF-R CAR-T Therapy Achieves Complete Response in Heavily Pretreated Follicular Lymphoma Patient
• PeproMene Bio's first-in-class BAFF-R targeted CAR-T cell therapy (PMB-CT01) has achieved complete remission in a heavily pretreated follicular lymphoma patient who had failed seven prior therapies including CD19 CAR-T.
• All seven patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with PMB-CT01 have achieved complete responses lasting from 1 to 29+ months, with minimal toxicity reported.
• PMB-CT01 targets the BAFF receptor, which is crucial for B-cell survival, potentially making it harder for tumor cells to escape therapy through antigen loss compared to CD19-targeted approaches.
Related Clinical Trials:
PeproMene Bio, Inc.
Posted 6/13/2022
PeproMene Bio, Inc.
Posted 5/18/2021
Tessera Therapeutics Reports Breakthrough Gene Editing Results for Multiple Genetic Diseases
• Tessera's RNA Gene Writer technology achieved 76% and 70% editing efficiency in hepatocytes for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and phenylketonuria respectively, with high specificity and durability in non-human primate studies.
• Preclinical data for sickle cell disease demonstrated greater than 20% editing in long-term hematopoietic stem cells across multiple species, potentially reaching curative thresholds without requiring stem cell transplantation.
• The company's proprietary lipid nanoparticle delivery system showed high liver specificity with no off-target activity detected, advancing the potential for in vivo gene editing therapies for multiple genetic disorders.
Intermountain Health Pioneers First Remote CAR-T Cell Collection Site in Southern Utah
• Intermountain Health has established the nation's first remote CAR-T cell collection site at St. George Regional Hospital, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to patients in Southern Utah and Nevada.
• The innovative satellite clinic eliminates the need for patients to travel hundreds of miles to Salt Lake City for initial collection procedures, significantly improving accessibility to this cutting-edge immunotherapy.
• CAR-T cell therapy, which reprograms patients' immune cells to target and destroy cancer cells, has shown remarkable success in treating various hematologic cancers including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
HCW Biologics Secures $5 Million in Follow-On Financing to Advance Immunotherapy Pipeline
• HCW Biologics has successfully raised $5 million in a follow-on offering to fund clinical development of its novel immunotherapies targeting inflammation-related diseases, particularly its Phase 1 trial of HCW9302 for autoimmune disorders.
• The company is advancing over 50 proprietary compounds developed through its TOBI and TRBC platforms, with plans to commercialize HCW9206, a promising reagent that could revolutionize CAR-T manufacturing by improving cell persistence and reducing costs.
• Despite financial challenges, HCW Biologics is implementing a multi-step financing strategy while pursuing business development opportunities, including a potential $7 million licensing deal with WY Biotech for its HCW11-006 compound.