Vyriad's VV169 In Vivo CAR-T Therapy Achieves 100% Tumor Clearance in Multiple Myeloma Preclinical Studies
Key Insights
Vyriad (search)'s lead in vivo CAR-T candidate VV169 (search) demonstrated complete tumor clearance in 100% of mice with disseminated multiple myeloma (search) within 28 days following a single intravenous dose.
The therapy showed durable responses with mice remaining tumor-free 84 days post-treatment and successfully resisting tumor re-challenge at all tested dose levels.
VV169 (search) was well-tolerated with minimal cytokine storm, as inflammatory markers including IL-6, TNF-α and GM-CSF remained barely detectable during treatment.
Vyriad (search) presented compelling preclinical data for its lead in vivo chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T therapy VV169 (search) at the 67th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, demonstrating complete tumor elimination in multiple myeloma (search) mouse models. The Rochester, Minnesota-based clinical-stage biotechnology company achieved 100% tumor clearance across all tested doses in disseminated myeloma (search) models, supporting the therapy's advancement toward clinical development.
Breakthrough Efficacy Results
VV169 (search) delivered remarkable therapeutic outcomes in humanized mouse models of multiple myeloma (search). A single intravenous injection of the therapy completely cleared OPM-2 tumors within 28 days in 100% of treated mice. This response was consistent across all dose levels, including the lowest dose tested, demonstrating the therapy's potent anti-tumor activity even at minimal dosing.
The durability of the response proved equally impressive, with treated mice remaining tumor-free 84 days post-treatment. When challenged with tumor re-implantation, the mice successfully resisted tumor growth, indicating the development of lasting immunological memory against the cancer cells.
Enhanced Safety Profile
VV169 (search) demonstrated a favorable safety profile that addresses a critical challenge in CAR-T therapy development. Analysis of cytokine levels confirmed the absence of severe cytokine storm, a potentially life-threatening complication associated with traditional CAR-T treatments. While interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels increased during T-cell expansion as expected, inflammatory markers including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) remained barely detectable.
"While we have recently seen remarkable proof-of-concept for in vivo CAR T in heavily pretreated multiple myeloma (search), the next hurdle is eliminating infusional toxicities, so that we can truly unlock the promise of this modality," said Stephen Russell, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of Vyriad (search). "Our singular focus is solving this technology challenge, and the data presented at ASH demonstrate Vyriad's strong and rapid progress."
Advanced Vector Engineering Technology
VV169 (search) utilizes Vyriad (search)'s proprietary lentiviral vector platform, anchored in advanced G protein engineering to achieve high serum stability and enhanced transduction efficiency. The therapy is designed as a single intravenous administration of a B-cell maturation antigen (search) (BCMA (search))-targeted CAR transgene, delivered by the LV-169 lentiviral vector.
A key innovation in the VV169 (search) design involves the use of a T-cell-specific promoter that prevents CAR protein expression on the virus particle itself, thereby minimizing off-target gene delivery to myeloma cells. This approach enhances the precision of the therapy while reducing potential adverse effects.
Three-Pronged Targeting Strategy
Vyriad (search) has developed three distinct retargeting strategies to selectively transduce resting T cells in the lymphoid niche. The direct covalent display method, currently being translated clinically through VV169 (search), uses a chimeric VSV-G protein (search) that displays a CD3 (search)-targeting ligand while blocking its natural interaction with the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor.
The company's additional approaches include trimeric adapter proteins that "cap" unmodified VSV-G trimers to redirect them to CD3 (search), and modular covalent display using SPY-tagged VSV-G proteins. Manufacturing studies for all three targeting approaches are currently underway.
Clinical Development Timeline
Vyriad (search) plans to initiate a U.S.-based clinical trial for VV169 (search) in multiple myeloma (search) patients in 2026. The company continues preclinical development work to support the transition to human studies, building on the strong efficacy and safety data presented at ASH 2025.
The advancement of VV169 (search) represents a significant step forward in addressing the scalability and safety challenges associated with traditional ex vivo CAR-T therapies, potentially offering a more accessible treatment option for patients with multiple myeloma (search).