The two former Kite Pharma executives behind a game-changing cancer-killing technology are launching their next act: a new company to develop a suite of so-called off-the-shelf CAR-T therapy assets, designed so that they do not need to be personalized for each cancer patient.
Allogene Therapeutics, which was unveiled Tuesday morning, has raised $300 million to acquire and advance a portfolio of experimental cell therapies previously controlled by Pfizer. As a consequence of the deal, Pfizer is getting out of the business of being a major CAR-T player, though it will take a 25 percent ownership stake in Allogene.
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Could off the shelf Car-T cell technology also be developed for solid tumors?
If this new treatment does not require chemo before the new cells were infused that would be a real breakthrough possibly eliminating the horrendous side affects caused by chemo.