Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy moved the needle at the 2024 ECTRIMS (European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis) congress and will continue to do so – not just in multiple sclerosis (MS), but in other autoimmune diseases as well.
Immpact Bio USA Inc. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for IMPT-514, a CD19/CD20 bispecific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for the treatment of adult patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). A phase I trial will focus on patients who have suboptimal disease control despite prior treatment with high efficacy disease-modifying therapies in all forms of MS.
Precision Biosciences Inc. has announced that its experimental allogeneic T cell therapy azercabtagene zapreleucel (azer-cel) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) has received IND clearance from the FDA.
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. has received clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to conduct clinical trials in China with its BCMA-targeting CAR T cell SYS-6020 for systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) in China.
Tr1x Inc. has announced that the FDA has cleared its IND application for its engineered Tr1 Treg cell therapy TRX-103 for treatment-refractory Crohn’s disease.
Shinobi Therapeutics Inc. has been awarded non-dilutive grant funding of up to $59 million by the Japanese Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED).
To be successful, CAR T-cells need a balance between being effective and overkill. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Vittoria Biotherapeutics Inc. have eliminated the CD5 signaling pathway of their CAR Ts to prevent the immunosuppressive brake effect. In return, this improved their proliferation and antitumor activity in T cell lymphomas.
Umoja Biopharma Inc. has received clearance from the FDA to begin a first-in-human trial of its CAR T product UB-VV111. The company expects to dose the first patient by the end of 2024.