Poseida Therapeutics Nominates New CAR-T Candidate in Roche Collaboration

Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing allogeneic cell therapies and genetic medicines, has announced the nomination of a new development candidate through its collaboration with Roche. This nomination has triggered a $15 million milestone payment from Roche to Poseida, extending the company’s cash runway into early 2026.

The new candidate is an allogeneic, dual CAR-T therapy designed to target known antigens in hematologic malignancies, including multiple myeloma. This therapy utilizes Poseida's non-viral transposon-based DNA delivery system to insert genes for two full-length chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) into T stem cell memory cells (TSCM). This approach aims to develop differentiated, TSCM-rich allogeneic CAR-T therapies targeting multiple antigens.

Kristin Yarema, Ph.D., president and CEO of Poseida Therapeutics, highlighted the significance of this nomination. She emphasized the potential of their proprietary non-viral genetic engineering toolkit to create unique allogeneic CAR-T therapies. Dr. Yarema remarked that multiple myeloma remains a common and incurable blood cancer, offering considerable opportunities for novel, potent, safe, and accessible treatments. Preclinical data supports the target combination of this dual CAR-T, and Poseida is eager to advance this program toward clinical trials as part of their ongoing collaboration with Roche.

Since August 2022, Poseida and Roche have collaborated on developing allogeneic CAR-T therapies for hematologic malignancies. Currently, they have three programs under this collaboration. The leading program, P-BCMA-ALLO1, targets BCMA and has received the Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after three or more prior lines of therapies. Poseida is actively enrolling patients in the Phase 1b portion of this clinical trial. The second program, P-CD19CD20-ALLO1, is an allogeneic dual CAR-T candidate in Phase 1 development for B-cell malignancies.

Dr. Yarema added that the promising safety and efficacy data of P-BCMA-ALLO1, presented at a recent IMS Annual Meeting, underscores the potential of Poseida’s approach. This new allogeneic dual CAR-T therapy candidate will utilize the same proprietary Poseida GMP manufacturing platform as P-BCMA-ALLO1.

Poseida is also preparing for its Cell Therapy R&D Day, scheduled for November 14, 2024. The event will feature presentations from the company’s management and leading scientists, emphasizing Poseida's advancements across its clinical and early-stage pipeline of allogeneic CAR-T therapies for oncology and autoimmune diseases.

As of June 30, 2024, Poseida’s cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $237.8 million. The recent $15 million milestone payment from Roche bolsters this financial position, allowing Poseida to fund its operations into early 2026. Additional anticipated progress and payments from the Roche Collaboration Agreement or other business developments could further extend this financial runway.

Poseida Therapeutics is dedicated to creating transformative treatments for hematologic cancers, autoimmune diseases, and solid tumors. The company leverages its genetic editing platforms, including a non-viral transposon-based DNA Delivery System, Cas-CLOVER™ Site-Specific Gene Editing System, Booster Molecule, nanoparticle gene delivery technologies, and in-house GMP cell therapy manufacturing. Poseida has formed strategic collaborations with Roche and Astellas to unlock the potential of cell therapies for cancer patients.