CRISPR Therapeutics has shared updates to its immuno-oncology pipeline, as well as an expansion into autoimmune disease.
The biotech shared preliminary data from trials of its next-gen CAR T-cell product candidates, CTX112 targeting CD19, and CTX131 targeting CD70, suggesting potential improvements in efficacy compared to first-generation candidates.
According to CRISPR, these next-gen candidates demonstrate increased manufacturing robustness and scalability, with higher and more consistent CAR T-cell production per batch. The biotech is now looking to focus on CTX112 and CTX131, with plans to transition patients treated with CTX110 and CTX130 to long-term follow-up.
In addition to the ongoing trials, CTX112 will be evaluated in autoimmune diseases, with a clinical trial in systemic lupus erythematosus set to begin in the first half of 2024. Simultaneously, trials of CTX131 will broaden to include hematologic malignancies, encompassing T- and B-cell malignancies.
The announcement comes days before the FDA is scheduled to share its landmark regulatory decision on CRISPR and Vertex's gene-therapy, exa-cel. The therapy, branded Casgevy, addresses sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT) and recently became the world's first CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy when it received authorization by the U.K.'s MHRA a few weeks ago.
