Recent Articles in Cell & Gene Therapy

Shanghai Grit Biotechnology, a cell therapy company, raised more than $60 million in a Series B financing round to develop its pipeline of drugs based on Tumor-Infiltrating lymphocytes. The company’s lead drug, GT101, has started a pivotal Phase II trial for solid tumor cancers. TIL uses lymphoctyes (T cells and B cells) derived from a tumor biopsy, expands them, and infuses the cells back into the patient. Unlike CAR-T therapies, TIL candidates naturally target the tumor, and they typically attack multiple targets in the tumor. The B Round was led by CICC. More details....

Share this with colleagues:  

Neurophth Therapeutics, a Wuhan-San Diego ophthalmology biotech, was approved to start clinical trials in Australia of NFS-05, a gene therapy for Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy (ADOA). ADOA is an autosomal dominant inherited optic neuropathy that causes bilateral, slowly progressing visual impairment. Neurophth points out that the eye is a closed sphere with little effect on the rest of the body, making it a natural target for gene therapies. NFS-05 delivers the OPA1 gene, the cause of 80% of ADOA cases. In August, Neurophth closed a $95 million Series C+ financing. More details....

Share this with colleagues:  

Shanghai CARsgen will collaborate with Boston’s Moderna to test a combination of their clinical stage Claudin18.2 cancer therapies in solid tumor cancers. The pairing will combine CARsgen’s CT041, an autologous Claudin18.2 CAR T-cell candidate, with Moderna’s investigational mRNA Claudin18.2 cancer vaccine. The two companies will first conduct preclinical tests and then move on to a Phase I trial. CT041 is an autologous CAR T-cell candidate that CARsgen is developing for gastric, pancreatic and other digestive system cancers in multiple ongoing clinical studies in China and North America. More details....

Share this with colleagues:  

Singapore CytoMed Therapeutics signed a Memorandum of Understanding that, if finalized, would allow the company to use Hangzhou CNK Therapeutics’ PiggyBac technology. The PiggyBac technology would be used to permanently graft Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) genes into gamma delta (γδ) T cells via a non-viral gene editing method. As a result, CAR gene expression is expected to continue for as long as the γδ T cells are present in the body, potentially increasing the therapeutic effect. The two companies may also form a JV to conduct clinical trials in China. More details....

Stock Symbol: (NSDQ: GDTC)

Share this with colleagues:  

Gracell Biotechnologies, a Suzhou-San Diego CAR-T company, raised $100 million in a private placement that could rise to $150 million if participants exercise options for additional shares. Gracell is developing a portfolio of CAR-T candidates based on its FasTCAR platform, which features next-day delivery of autologous CAR-T therapies, and its TruUCAR off-the-shelf technology platform. Gracell said the capital will support the company into the second half of 2026. The private placement priced the company’s ADSs at $3.60, and the warrants will purchase an ADS at $5.58.  More details....

Stock Symbol: (NSDQ: GRCL)

Share this with colleagues: