Caribou's cell therapy shows promise in early-stage cancer study
13/07/2023 21:01
July 13 (Reuters) - Caribou Biosciences Inc CRBU.O
said on Thursday its experimental CAR T-cell therapy helped
clear all signs or decrease tumor size in 94% of patients being
treated for a type of cancer in the lymph nodes in a small,
early-stage trial.
The responses seen in patients treated with Caribou's CAR
T-cell therapy, which uses stem cells from a donor, rival those
seen in patients treated with approved CAR T-cell therapy where
patients' own stem cells are harvested, the company said.
The study also showed the therapy helped achieve complete
response, meaning no detectable sign of cancer, in 69% of
patients, and a complete response for 6 months and more in 44%
of 16 patients.
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that develops in the lymph nodes,
which is part of the body's immune system typically affects
patients over the age of 60, but can also be seen in all ages.
The therapy was well tolerated with adverse events
consistent with existing approved CAR T-cell therapies in the
study, the drug developer said.
Pfizer Inc PFE.N earlier this month paid $25 million for a
minority stake in Caribou, gaining the right to negotiate first
for a license or purchase of another CAR T-cell therapy, CB-011,
which is in early-stage testing for patients with a type of
blood cancer.
CAR T-cell therapies involve genetically engineering
infection-fighting cells, from healthy donors in this case, and
infusing them into patients.
The California-based company said it is currently enrolling
second-line patients with large B cell lymphoma for the second
portion of the early-stage study, and the data is expected in
the first half of 2024.
(Reporting by Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by
Shailesh Kuber)
((Khushi.Mandowara@thomsonreuters.com;))