Allogene Therapeutics to Present ALLO-329 Pre-Clinical Data at ACR Convergence

Allogene Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology firm, has announced that it will present pre-clinical data for its investigational AlloCAR T candidate, ALLO-329, at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting in November 2024. The company specializes in allogeneic CAR T products designed for cancer and autoimmune diseases. ALLO-329 represents a significant advancement as a CD19/CD70 dual CAR T product aimed at tackling both B-cell and T-cell dysfunctions implicated in autoimmune disorders.

ALLO-329 is notable for its innovative design, which seeks to reduce or eliminate the need for lymphodepletion—a process that can be a barrier to the wider adoption of CAR T therapy in autoimmune indications. This is achieved through a new gene-editing platform that features site-specific integration using CRISPR technology. The product targets both CD19+ B-cells and CD70+ activated T-cells, both of which are believed to play critical roles in autoimmune diseases.

Zachary Roberts, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Research & Development at Allogene, emphasized the importance of developing CAR T therapies that meet the specific needs of the patient population. He highlighted that the off-the-shelf availability of CAR T therapies is crucial for meeting potential demand in the real world. Furthermore, the incorporation of Allogene’s proprietary Dagger® technology aims to enable the expansion and persistence of the cells in patients, potentially without the need for extensive chemotherapy conditioning. This dual targeting of B- and T-cell components could allow for broader application across various autoimmune conditions.

The pre-clinical data for ALLO-329 will be presented by Kristen Zhang, a research scientist at Allogene Therapeutics. The presentation will take place during a poster session focused on T cell biology and targets in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases at the ACR Convergence 2024. The specific session is scheduled for Monday, November 18.

Allogene Therapeutics plans to file an investigational new drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the first quarter of 2025. The company aims to have proof-of-concept for ALLO-329 by the end of 2025.

Allogene Therapeutics is headquartered in South San Francisco and is led by a management team with extensive experience in cell therapy. The company is pioneering the development of “off-the-shelf” CAR T cell products, aiming to provide readily available cell therapy on-demand, reliably, and at scale to a broader patient population. The firm continues to develop its pipeline of CAR T candidates to address both cancer and autoimmune diseases.