NEW YORK – Coeptis Therapeutics said on Tuesday that it is partnering with IQVIA to advance development of its multi-antigen CAR T-cell technology, called SNAP-CAR, into the clinic.
Under the agreement, IQVIA and Coeptis together will prioritize the target indications for the SNAP-CAR program and prepare for the filing of an investigational new drug (IND) application.
Wexford, Pennsylvania-based Coeptis licensed the SNAP-CAR program from University of Pittsburgh in September. The program combines CAR T-cell technology with antibody adaptors that bind to targets on tumor cells rather than the engineered T-cells binding to the tumor cells. The firm said the platform is "highly programmable" and could be used to treat both blood cancers and solid tumors.
"We believe SNAP-CAR offers an opportunity to direct the power of CAR T to an array of cancers, including solid tumors, that have largely been inaccessible via current cell therapy technologies," Coeptis CEO Dave Mehalick said in a statement. "Given this tremendous opportunity, Coeptis is now moving full-force to initiate a first-in-human clinical program to investigate SNAP-CAR, and we are excited to partner IQVIA to begin the development process."
In August 2021, Coeptis acquired another cell therapy program targeting CD38-related cancers, called GEAR-NK, from VyGen-Bio. Last month, the firm went public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger with Bull Horn Holdings.