CAR-T funding is on the rise. At first the trend was subtle, but the tide has swelled as CAR-T therapies like Kymriah, Yescarta, Tecartus and Breyanzi have reached the marketplace and created a CAR-T funding craze. CAR-T start-ups have been richly funded by investors eager to get into this trending area of regenerative medicine. [Read more…]
U.S. FDA Grants Approval of Fourth CAR-T Cell Therapy (Breyanzi) to Juno Therapeutics
On February 5, 2021, the U.S. FDA granted approval of Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel) to Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Breyanzi is a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy approved for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory large-B-cell lymphoma who have not responded to, or who have relapsed after, at least two other types of systemic treatment. [Read more…]
CAR-T Cell Therapeutics: A Multi-Billion Dollar Market
CAR-T is a promising type of immunotherapy where doctors collect immune cells, modify them in a laboratory, and provide them the capacity to recognize and kill cancer cells. When infused into a patient, the cells get multiplied and stay in the body as “living drugs.”
Since the approval of the first CAR-T cell therapeutic in 2017, widespread research, proliferating clinical trials, aggressive M&A activity, and lucrative IPOs have created a robust CAR-T cell market. [Read more…]
New Frontiers in Gene-Editing and Stem Cell Innovation – Interview with Dr. Chen-Tsai of Applied StemCell
I had the honor of interviewing Dr. Ruby Yanru Chen-Tsai, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-founder of Applied StemCell Inc. (ASC), a fast growing biotechnology company in Milpitas, California. Specializing in gene-editing technologies and stem cell innovation, ASC offers an optimized series of tools for basic research study, drug discovery, bio-processing, bio-production and preclinical applications.
In this fascinating interview, we discuss Dr. Yanru Chen-Tsai’s impressive background, ASC’s unique product portfolio, its TARGATT™ gene editing technology, and the company’s future trajectory. [Read more…]
Is Storing Your Immune Cells Really Worth It?
While cryopreserving cell tissue, stem cells and other blood products is nothing novel, the emerging field of immune cell banking certainly is. Immune cells are all the cells that make up your immune system, including T-cells, B-cells, NK cells, neutrophils cells, monocytes, dendritic cells, etc. They are your body’s first line of defense against infection and disease. New immunotherapies, such as CAR T-cell, CAR NK and dendritic cell therapies, are currently being developed to leverage those cells and offer new, experimental treatment options for cancer patients.
Storing immune cells may be a fairly new concept, but the potential benefits of storing immune cells have made forward-thinking, health-conscious individuals take notice. [Read more…]
