For many blood cancer patients, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies have been a life saver. This exciting and promising technology has shown to produce powerful and prolonged immune responses, often destroying the cancer cells they target.
However, the caveats of current FDA approved CAR T-cell therapies are 1) time consuming due to their “customized” nature that can take several weeks to manufacture, 2) engineered directly from the affected patients’ own cells (autologous) and 3) mostly applicable for blood cancer treatment, with a few upcoming FDA approved CAR T-cell products specific for solid cancers such as Tecelra® (soft tissue cancer) and Amtagvi® (melanoma).
Enter the allogeneic and “off the shelf” immune cell-based therapies. These therapies are based on immune cells such as T cells and natural killer (NK) cells that are manufactured from healthy donor cells, stored, and used on demand, resulting in a significant reduction in the “wait” time for cancer treatment from weeks to days.
Now, several companies are in the process of creating NK cell-based cancer therapies and, according to the American Association of Cancer Research, they’re getting close to a solution.
Senti-Biosciences, for example, recently showed several patients experiencing complete remission of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after being treated with their CAR-NK cell-based cancer therapy platform. But Senti is not the only company diligently working on a solution.
Peter Choo, Chairman of Singapore-based CytoMed Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GDTC) said, “It is very encouraging to see these early data from Senti. It is our belief that NK cell-based cancer therapies will be the next great breakthrough in cancer therapy.
“Our company, CytoMed, is developing an iPSC-γδ NK T-cell therapy product which we hope to reveal some data on, perhaps sometime later this year, or early next. This product is engineered as an allogeneic solution, which we believe ultimately could target a wide range of cancers and could do so at a lower cost than current, more narrowly targeted and time-consuming, CAR T-cell solutions.
“We encourage the scientific community to review our technology and see why we start with iPSCs at https://w2.cytomed.sg/ipsc-gamma-delta-nkt-cell/,” he concluded.
To read more about CytoMed Therapeutics, visit HERE
Or, for a quick review of the Senti data shown in The American Journal of Managed Care®, visit HERE
The market for cell banking is expanding rapidly, with a global estimate market of $5 billion USD in 2022. However, according to new research from DataM Intelligence, the market is expanding at a 15.68% compound annual growth rate and is expected to hit an estimate valuation of $15.9 billion USD by 2031.
According to its report, “The Stem Cell Banking market focuses on the collection, processing, and storage of stem cells from sources like umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, and adipose tissue for future medical use. Rising awareness of regenerative medicine, advancements in stem cell therapies, and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases are driving market growth globally.”
What makes this market so exciting for companies like CytoMed Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GDTC), outside its remarkable CAGR, is the utility of umbilical cord blood.
As noted in a review article by The National Library of Medicine, “While cord blood is primarily utilized in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, the development of novel cell therapy products from cord blood is a growing and developing field.
“Compared to adult blood, cord blood is characterized by a higher percentage of hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells, less mature immune cells that retain a high capacity of proliferation, and stronger immune tolerance that requires less stringent HLA-matching when used in the allogenic setting.
“… cord blood lends itself as a readily available and safe starting material for the development of off-the-shelf cell therapies. Moreover, non-hematologic cells… also have potential in regenerative medicine and inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.”
For these reasons, among others, CytoMed Therapeutics, through its subsidiary IPSC Depository, recently acquired certain assets of Malaysian cord blood bank, Cellsafe International.
Evelyn Tan, IPSC Depository CEO said, “This acquisition seeks to unlock the therapeutic potential of umbilical cord blood and adds a new strategic dimension targeting longevity and wellness.
“While CytoMed, our publicly listed holding company, will continue to focus on cancer therapeutics, our new subsidiary, LongevityBank will focus exclusively on the regenerative medicine market, with its ultimate goal to be potentially spun off in the future.”
Research from SNS Insider shows the Regenerative Medicine Market is projected to be valued at $235.98 billion by 2032. By obtaining and growing a foothold in this particular segment, CytoMed Therapeutics, through its subsidiaries, looks to grow not only its market shares, but also to diversify its overall product offerings in the health and wellness space.
Read the DataM Intelligence report on the stem cell banking market, HERE
Or see the latest press releases from CytoMed Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GDTC), HERE
It’s been about 18 years since a four year girl diagnosed with neuroblastoma (a solid tumor cancer) received her first CAR T-cell therapy in clinical trial. Now in her 20’s, she’s been cancer-free for nearly two decades, one of the longest reported remissions following this breakthrough therapy.
However, while tens of thousands of patients have been treated to date with CAR T-cell therapies worldwide, many with great success, this particular case stands as a testament to science, and most importantly, where it is headed.
You see, the vast majority of CAR T-cell recipients are treated for hematological or blood cancers, as solid tumors like neuroblastoma have been, thus far, difficult to effectively target. Unfortunately for most of the patients in the trial cited above, the results were mixed.
Of the 19 children treated with CAR T-cell therapy (all diagnosed with neuroblastoma), 12 unfortunately died within seven years of treatment, and five were disease free after 10-15 years, with one patient (the young lady mentioned above) still in remission.
But a new clinical trial is soon taking place in India, with the ultimate objective to make cell therapy accessible to more patients.
CytoMed Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GDTC) in collaboration with SunAct Cancer Institute, has entered a Phase 1/Phase 2 clinical trial using CytoMed’s proprietary allogeneic gamma delta T cells for treating various cancers, including solid tumors.
Peter Choo, Chairman of CytoMed Therapeutics said, “CytoMed’s collaboration with SunAct is timely and complements our core focus of harnessing CytoMed’s proprietary off-the-shelf technologies to develop novel donor-derived cell-based allogeneic immunotherapies for the treatment of various cancers at affordable cost.
“We are aligned with the foresight of our partner SunAct to provide affordable no-option cancer therapeutics that could improve patients’ quality of life.”
Ultimately, should the trial prove successful, the company hopes to increase remission rates for solid tumor patients, while creating a CAR T-cell therapy that is far more affordable, wide ranging and accessible.
To read more about the CytoMed/SunAct collaboration, visit HERE
Or, to read more about the young lady who is nearing the two decade mark in remission, visit HERE