A2 Bio has two ongoing Phase I/II clinical trials investigating two of its CAR-T programmes. Credit: THOMAS COEX via Getty Images.
US-based biotech company A2 Biotherapeutics (A2 Bio) has secured $80m in funding to advance its pipeline of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies for solid tumour cancers.
The Series C financing, backed by investors such as The Column Group and Samsara BioCapital, will support the company’s three clinical programmes and further development of its proprietary Imod platform technology.
CAR-T cell therapies have demonstrated significant success in treating blood cancers, with several approved therapies on the market. However, developing effective CAR-T treatments for solid tumours has been far more challenging.
A2 Bio aims to address these difficulties with its logic-gated cell therapies, designed to target cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. This approach uses two receptors: an activator that identifies tumour-specific antigens and a blocker that binds to antigens on normal cells, preventing unintended damage.
The company is conducting two Phase I/II clinical trials under its EVEREST programme. EVEREST-1 (NCT05736731) evaluates A2B530, targeting carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) for pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancers. Both programmes utilise the BASECAMP-1 pre-screening study, which incorporates AI to identify eligible patients efficiently.
In March 2024, A2 Bio received the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA)
orphan drug designation for A2B530
to treat colorectal cancer. This status brings development incentives for the company, including tax credits for clinical trial costs, prescription drug user fee exemptions and the possibility of up to seven years of market exclusivity upon regulatory approval.
Meanwhile, EVEREST-2 (NCT06051695) focuses on A2B694, targeting mesothelin (MSLN) for pancreatic, ovarian, lung, colorectal, and mesothelioma cancers, with up to 230 patients set to be enrolled.
A third CAR-T program, with an undisclosed target, is expected to begin this quarter. Unlike the first two programmes with autologous therapies – using a patient’s cells for therapy – the third programme is developing an “off-the-shelf” therapy using donor cells – known as allogeneic. This approach aims to overcome the scalability and
manufacturing challenges
associated with autologous CAR-T therapies.
The company’s Imod platform underpins A2 Bio’s cell therapy strategy. The Tmod platform’s dual-receptor design, comprising an activator that targets tumour cells and a blocker for normal cells, addresses the issue with other solid tumour cancer treatments. It acts by selectively targeting tumour cells while sparing healthy ones. This novel approach is designed to address a critical limitation of existing CAR-T therapies, particularly in solid tumours, which require more nuanced differentiation from normal tissues.
Free Whitepaper
Optimise your cell therapy process: a guide to cell thawing
Typically carried out at the point of care, errors in cell therapy thawing could compromise treatment efficacy, leading to significant patient impact as well as high costs and a compromised reputation for the product’s developer.
This guide addresses how cell thawing has historically developed into the new techniques used today, along with the physical and biological implications of key metrics and components such as warming rate and ice structure. Also included are reviews of key studies from scientific literature and a consideration of the interactions between cooling and warming rates, as applicable to cell and gene therapies.
Thank you.
You will receive an email shortly. Please check your inbox to download the Whitepaper.
By Cytiva Thematic
By downloading this Whitepaper, you acknowledge that GlobalData may share your information with
Cytiva Thematic
and that your personal data will be used as described in their
Privacy Policy