The subtype accounts for 20% of all T-cell leukaemias, a rare form of blood cancer which produces too many abnormal T-cells
OneChain Immunotherapeutics (OCI), a biotechnology company that specialises in developing CAR T cell therapies for oncological diseases, has announced that the CARxALL clinical trial has dosed its first cortical T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (coT-ALL) patient with OC-1, a CAR T therapy.
Being conducted at Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu in Barcelona, the trial is open to both paediatric and adult patients worldwide.
T-cell leukaemia is a rare form of blood cancer that occurs when the bone marrow produces too many abnormal T-cells, a type of white blood cell that protects the body from infections.
The subtype, coT-ALL, accounts for 20% of T-cell leukaemias and is characterised by a poor prognosis in patients who do not respond to existing therapies.
CAR T therapies are a form of immunotherapy that involve the genetic modification of immune cells known as T-cells to enhance and target their ability to recognise and attack cancer cells.
The study aims to evaluate the safety and tolerability of OC-1 in patients with coT-ALL, who have previously undergone several treatment lines without success, for the first time in humans.
Already receiving orphan drug designations from the European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration, the therapy works by targeting CD1a, a protein found exclusively in the tumour cells of patients with coT-ALL and potentially reduces severe immunosuppression risks associated with competing CAR T treatments.
“This treatment offers hope for patients who have exhausted all available options,” said Nuria Martinez, principal investigator, Hospital Clínic.
Dr Stefanos Theoharis, chief executive officer, OCI, commented: “This is an important milestone and a very proud moment for OCI and all our partners.”
The biotech is also developing four other projects that are indicated to treat patients living with T-ALL, B-cell ALL and glioblastoma multiforme, as well as a platform for CAR Vδ1 gamma delta T cells for allogeneic application known as OC-3 to deliver ready-to-use treatments at a lower cost.