NEW YORK – Mustang Bio on Thursday outlined plans to expand clinical development of the CAR T-cell therapy MB-106, which so far has been under development as a cancer treatment, into autoimmune diseases.
Mustang is in preliminary discussions with Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center about possibly launching a proof-of-concept Phase I investigator-sponsored clinical trial of MB-106, an autologous CD20-targeted CAR T-cell therapy, in the fourth quarter of this year. The firm and Fred Hutch investigators haven't yet settled on which autoimmune indications they will focus on in the Phase I trial.
"We believe an investigator-sponsored clinical trial is the fastest and most cost-effective way to embark on this program," Mustang CEO and President Manuel Litchman said in a statement. "We are in discussions with Fred Hutch to determine the autoimmune indication(s) we plan to pursue in the first trial and look forward to sharing more details in the near future."
Fred Hutch scientists have been involved in MB-106's development, and certain scientists may benefit financially from this work, the Worcester, Massachusetts-based company said.
Mustang is already testing the CAR T-cell therapy in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in a Phase I/II trial and in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and is planning to begin a pivotal trial in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, a rare type of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in the second half of the year.
The firm last year said it was discontinuing development of several cell and gene therapies to focus resources on advancing MB-106, the glioblastoma treatment MB-109, and its in vivo CAR T platform.