Imugene Ltd has entered into a research collaboration with Celurlarity Inc to develop a novel oncolytic virus allogeneic CAR T-Cell immunotherapy combination for the treatment of solid tumors.
As part of the partnership, Imugene and Celularity will initially collaborate to develop the combination of Imugene’s CD19 oncolytic virus technology and Celularity’s CD19 targeting allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cellular therapy, CyCART-19, for the treatment.
CyCART-19 is a placental-derived T-cell investigational therapy engineered with a CAR that is cryopreserved and will be available off-the-shelf.
Imugene exclusively licensed the CD19 oncolytic virus technology from City of Hope, a world-renowned independent cancer research and treatment centre near Los Angeles.
Its strategy to treat solid tumors uses an oncolytic virus to prime the tumors cells for destruction by eliciting the expression of a validated tumors marker, CD19, that can then be used as a target for CAR T cellular therapy.
Potential to shift cellular medicine paradigm
Imugene managing director and CEO Leslie Chong said: “We believe the synergy between Celularity’s placental derived cells and our OnCARlytic platform has the potential to shift the cellular medicine paradigm.
“In preclinical studies Celularity’s cellular therapies have shown the ability to overcome limitations that have hindered other approaches, including increased proliferation and persistence in vivo, resistance to T-cell exhaustion and low immunogenicity, which allows for repeated dosing.”
New approach to solid tumors
Chong continued: “These unique characteristics perfectly align with our vision for a combination treatment strategy, and we look forward to closely working together to bring this treatment strategy to the clinic and patients in need.”
Celularity founder, chairperson and CEO Robert Hariri said: “We are excited to initiate this research collaboration, which we believe will lay the foundation for a new approach to the treatment of solid tumors.
“Most solid tumors have variable targetable antigens, limiting CAR T-cell therapy efficacy.
“This treatment strategy with Imugene has the potential to apply to a new range of indications by enabling CD 19 targeted cellular medicine to expand from its current effective usage in CD19 positive lymphomas and leukemia and potentially become applicable to a variety of solid tumors through inducing uniform expression of CD19 in solid tumors.”