Cell and Gene Therapy Updates

April 2nd April, 2025

⭐ Regulatory Events

🎯 The US FDA cleared an IND application of CERo Therapeutics, Inc.’s CER-1236 (anti-Tim-4L chimeric engulfment receptor T-cell (CER-T)) for a Phase 1 trial in advanced solid tumors specifically NSCLC and ovarian cancer (Ref 1) 

 ❓ What is the difference between CER-T and CAR-Ts and what benefits do CER-Ts offer? 

⭐ Setbacks

🛑 Carisma Therapeutics paused R&D activities and is exploring strategic alternatives to maximize value, including selling or licensing its assets, collaborating with other companies, or a merger or outright sale of the company (Ref 2) 

 ❓ What is the status of its deal with Moderna?

⭐ EBMT 2025 Highlights

👉 Academia-sponsored dual-targeting optimized hinge tandem CD19/20 CAR-T cell therapy demonstrated favorable outcomes particularly when administered following ASCT in a China-specific Phase 1/2 trial in R/R LBCL patients (Ref 3) 

 ❓ How do dual target CAR-Ts with a tandem design differ from those utilizing loop connections or parallel styles? 

👉 Beijing Gobroad Hospital’s allogeneic, anti-CD7 CAR-T achieved a CR rate of 94.1% (N=17) in a Phase 1/ChiCTR2200058969 trial in patients with T-cell Lymphoma who relapsed following allo-HSCT. (Ref 4) 

❓ How many allogeneic CAR-Ts are in development for the treatment of T-cell Lymphoma? 

👉 Goethe University & DKTK’s IL-15 armored LLAMA-derived VHH-based anti-CLEC12A CAR-NK cells showed superior in vivo anti-leukemic activity in an AML model outperforming scFv-based constructs (Ref 5) 

 ❓ What were the key findings from the in vitro and in vivo evaluations?

To know answers to these questions and for additional insights, write to us at support@oncofocus.com.

🌐 References: 

1) https://www.cero.bio/press-release?storyId=6698663783956500

2) https://ir.carismatx.com/static-files/b6296641-fa2d-4463-aacf-26204495719c

3) https://ebmt2025.abstractserver.com/program/#/details/presentations/2008

4) https://ebmt2025.abstractserver.com/program/#/details/presentations/953

5) https://ebmt2025.abstractserver.com/program/#/details/presentations/2257