Cullinan Therapeutics has announced a licensing agreement with Genrix Bio for global rights to velinotamig, a clinical-stage BCMAxCD3 bispecific T cell engager. The agreement allows Cullinan to explore the development of the therapy in autoimmune diseases, like lupus. T cell engagers work by guiding the body’s own T cells, a type of immune cell, to recognize and eliminate certain cells in the body.
Velinotamig has shown promising efficacy at the Phase 2 target dose in nearly 50 study participants with relapsed/refractory (r/r) Multiple Myeloma, a rare type of blood cancer. Evidence indicates that BCMA is a promising target for autoimmune diseases, providing a targeted and potentially transformative strategy by eradicating all self-reactive plasma cells responsible for certain autoimmune conditions, particularly those driven by long-lived plasma cells. Genrix plans to launch a Phase 1 study in China by the end of 2025 with people with autoimmune diseases, and Cullinan intends to use the data generated to accelerate global clinical development of its therapy program.
Cullinan notes that the addition of velinotamig complements the development of the investigational therapy, CLN-978, currently in Phase 1b study for the treatment of moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus, and expands their ability to treat a broader range of autoimmune diseases.
Continue to follow the Lupus Foundation of America for updates on lupus drug developments and clinical trials. Learn more about treatments being studied for lupus.
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