CARsgen Begins Investigator-Led Trial for Allogeneic CD19/CD20 CAR-T Therapy

SHANGHAI, Dec. 31, 2024 – CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings Limited, listed under Stock Code 2171.HK, has announced the start of an investigator-initiated trial in China. This trial introduces KJ-C2219, an allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy crafted to target CD19 and CD20. The primary focus is on treating patients who have relapsed or have refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R B-NHL).

KJ-C2219 is a result of CARsgen's THANK-u Plus platform, a refined version of their proprietary THANK-uCAR® technology. This platform is specifically developed to improve treatments for hematologic malignancies and autoimmune diseases. One of the primary aims of the THANK-u Plus platform is to address the effects that varying levels of NKG2A expression have on therapeutic outcomes. The THANK-u Plus platform exhibits a consistent expansion, regardless of the different NKG2A expression levels on natural killer (NK) cells, and it shows a marked improvement in expansion compared to the earlier THANK-uCAR® technology. In preclinical studies, THANK-u Plus has demonstrated superior antitumor capabilities in the presence of NK cells compared to THANK-uCAR®. The development of allogeneic BCMA or dual-targeting CD19/CD20 CAR-T cells using this platform has shown strong antitumor activity when NK cells are present, indicating the platform's broad potential for creating diverse allogeneic CAR-T treatments.

CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings Limited operates in both China and the United States, focusing on pioneering CAR T-cell therapies aimed at treating a range of hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The company has built an all-encompassing research and development platform for CAR T-cells, which spans from discovering targets to creating innovative CAR T-cell therapies, conducting clinical trials, and producing these therapies on a commercial scale. CARsgen has also developed unique technologies and a diverse product pipeline with global rights to tackle the significant challenges that current CAR T-cell therapies encounter. These challenges include enhancing the safety profile, boosting efficacy in treating solid tumors, and reducing the costs associated with these treatments.

The mission of CARsgen is to establish itself as a leading global biopharmaceutical company, offering innovative and distinct cell therapies to cancer patients worldwide with the ultimate goal of making cancer a curable disease.