Cell therapy weekly: Evaluating CLIP-CAR technology in NK cells
This week: Xcell Biosciences (CA, USA) has expanded its research collaboration with Labcorp (NC, USA), Cartherics (Notting Hill, Australia) and TiCARos (Seoul, South Korea) will assess TiCARos’ CLIP-CAR technology in natural killer (NK) cells and Obsidian Therapeutics (MA, USA) has secured US$160.5 million in Series C financing to advance it’s tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) program.
The news highlights:
- Xcell Biosciences and Labcorp expand collaboration
- Evaluating CLIP-CAR technology in NK cells
- Obsidian secures US$160.5 million to advance TIL program
Xcell Biosciences and Labcorp expand collaboration
Xcell Biosciences, a company specializing in instrumentation for cell and gene therapy applications, has expanded its research collaboration with Labcorp. Under the expanded collaboration, Labcorp will join the beta program for Xcellbio’s clinical manufacturing line of AVATAR™ instruments and will have an observer seat on Xcellbio’s board of directors.
In return, Labcorp has boosted its strategic investment in Xcellbio, although specific financial terms were not disclosed. Both companies will jointly present findings from their ongoing collaboration at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (5–10 April 2024; San Diego, USA).
“We are proud to be a trusted partner for Labcorp, who recognizes that key partnerships will help unlock what’s possible in the development of cell and gene therapies,” stated Brian Feth, co-founder and CEO at Xcellbio. “We look forward to deepening our ties as we continue on our shared mission of developing safer, more effective treatments for more patients and a wide array of diseases.”
Evaluating CLIP-CAR technology in NK cells
Cartherics and TiCARos have entered a collaborative research agreement to assess TiCARos’ proprietary Clamping-based Immunological Synapse Potentiating-CAR technology (CLIP-CAR) in Cartherics’ induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived NK cells.
In CAR-T cells, CLIP-CAR technology improves the interaction between CAR-T cells and tumor cells by enhancing the stability of the immune synapse. This collaborative research will evaluate the effectiveness of CLIP-CARs in NK cells.
“We are excited to extend the application of our CLIP CAR-T platform technology into CAR-NK therapeutic approach by collaborating with Cartherics, as their expertise lies in the field of allogeneic cell platform based upon iPSC-derived NK cell therapy,” said Jae Won Lee, CEO of TiCARos. “We see a remarkable opportunity to leverage our core capabilities, accelerate pipeline programs, and expand opportunities beyond autologous cell therapies.”
Obsidian secures US$160.5 million to advance TIL program
Obsidian Therapeutics has secured US$160.5 million in Series C financing led by a new investor, Wellington Management (London, UK). The funding will be used to support the progression of Obsidian’s lead engineered TIL program, OBX-115, through its existing trials for patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer.
“The strong demand and support from this syndicate of premier investors is a testament to the promise of OBX-115 for patients with treatment-resistant advanced melanoma,” said Obsidian’s CEO, Madan Jagasia. “This financing provides funding through key clinical readouts in melanoma and is the catalyst to continue expanding OBX-115 into [non-small cell lung cancer], where there is significant potential and high unmet need.”
