SHANGHAI, May 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings Limited (Stock Code: 2171.HK), a company focused on developing innovative CAR T-cell therapies, announces preliminary clinical data for CT0596, an allogeneic BCMA-targeted CAR-T developed using the THANK-u Plus platform. CT0596 is currently being evaluated in an early exploratory clinical study for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM) or relapsed/refractory plasma cell leukemia (R/R PCL) to assess its safety, and preliminary efficacy.
As of May 6, 2025, 8 patients with R/R MM who had received at least three prior lines of therapy were enrolled and infused with CT0596 following lymphodepletion with the FC regimen (fludarabine 22.5-30 mg/m² and cyclophosphamide 350-500 mg/m²). Key findings from up to four months of follow-up include:
- No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), =Grade 3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), or graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were reported. The product demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with no patients discontinuing treatment due to adverse events.
- 1) Among 5 patients who completed the first efficacy assessment at Week 4, 3 patients (60%) achieved stringent complete response/complete response (sCR/CR), and 4 patients (80%) achieved minimal residual disease (MRD)-negativity in the bone marrow. 2) Early efficacy data from 2 patients at Day 14 showed reductions in measurable lesions by =92% and =65%, respectively. 3) 1 patient had not yet reached the protocol-specified efficacy assessment timepoint.
- All sCR/CR patients remained in ongoing responses, including the first patient who completed the four-month follow-up.
Based on the preliminary safety and efficacy data, CT0596 demonstrated favorable tolerability and encouraging efficacy signals in R/R MM patients across all predefined dose levels, with CAR-T expansion observed. These findings warrant further exploration not only in R/R MM, but also in other plasma cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases mediated by autoreactive plasma cells. CARsgen plans to present detailed clinical data at upcoming scientific conferences. The company anticipates submitting an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for this product candidate in the second half of 2025.
About THANK-u Plus
CARsgen has developed the THANK-u Plus platform as an enhanced version of its proprietary THANK-uCAR® allogeneic CAR-T technology to address the potential impact of NKG2A expression levels on therapeutic efficacy. THANK-u Plus demonstrates sustained expansion regardless of varying NKG2A expression levels on NK cells and exhibits significantly improved expansion compared to THANK-uCAR®. Preclinical studies show that THANK-u Plus delivers superior antitumor efficacy in the presence of NK cells compared to THANK-uCAR®. Allogeneic BCMA or dual-targeting CD19/CD20 CAR-T cells developed using this platform exhibit robust antitumor activity in the presence of NK cells, indicating that THANK-u Plus has broad potential for developing diverse allogeneic CAR-T therapies. CARsgen is developing allogeneic CAR-T products using THANK-u Plus platform to increase CAR T cell expansion, persistence and efficacy.
About CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings Limited
CARsgen is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on developing innovative CAR T-cell therapies to address the unmet clinical needs including but not limited to hematologic malignancies, solid tumors and autoimmune diseases. CARsgen has established end-to-end capabilities for CAR T-cell research and development covering target discovery, preclinical research, product clinical development, and commercial-scale production. CARsgen has developed novel in-house technologies and a product pipeline with global rights to address challenges faced by existing CAR T-cell therapies. Efforts include improving safety profile, enhancing the efficacy in treating solid tumors, and reducing treatment costs, etc. CARsgen's mission is to be a global biopharmaceutical leader that provides innovative and differentiated cell therapies for patients worldwide and makes cancer and other diseases curable.
Forward-looking Statements
All statements in this press release that are not historical fact or that do not relate to present facts or current conditions are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements express the Group's current views, projections, beliefs and expectations with respect to future events as of the date of this press release. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and factors beyond the Group's control. As a result, they are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and actual events or results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements and the forward-looking events discussed in this press release might not occur. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those detailed under the heading "Principal Risks and Uncertainties" in our most recent annual report and interim report and other announcements and reports made available on our corporate website, https://www.carsgen.com. No representation or warranty is given as to the achievement or reasonableness of, and no reliance should be placed on, any projections, targets, estimates or forecasts contained in this press release.
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