Umoja Biopharma has revealed data from an ongoing non-human primate (NHP) study demonstrating effective, durable, and well tolerated in vivo chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell generation using the company’s VivoVec platform.
The data include results from the first four NHPs treated in an ongoing study and demonstrate rapid and efficient in vivo generation of anti-CD20-targeting CAR-T cells following a single infusion of Umoja’s multidomain fusion (MDF) VivoVec particles without the administration of pre-conditioning lymphodepleting chemotherapy.
Additionally, these data suggest that the CAR-T cells generated in vivo demonstrated on-target activity and persistent T cell memory.
“In vivo CAR-T technology has the potential to transform the cell therapy paradigm by providing an off-the-shelf, patient-specific solution for those with serious conditions, including cancers,” said Andy Scharenberg, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Umoja.
“These data highlight the potential of our unique delivery platform to effectively generate CAR-T cells in vivo. Beyond a single therapeutic, our platform could enable the delivery of virtually any CAR construct, creating the opportunity for Umoja to address a broad range of cancers and unlock the true potential of CAR-T cell therapies.”
Key results include:
- Following a single VivoVec administration, anti-CD20 CAR-T cells were generated in vivo with peak levels of CAR-T expansion occurring between days seven and 10
- CD20 CAR-T demonstrated on-target activity resulting in durable B-cell aplasia
- In three animals treated at the planned clinical dose – and without preconditioning chemotherapy – peak CD20 CAR+ cells comprised ~40-60% of total circulating T cell volume, including the demonstration of central memory T cell responses
- In the first animal, additional independent CAR-T cell expansions were observed after day 30
- No toxicity was associated with VivoVec administration
