On June 25, 2020 Nurix Therapeutics, Inc., a company developing targeted protein modulation drugs, reported the formation of a new adoptive cell therapy company, DeCART Therapeutics, which has been initially formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of Nurix (Press release, Nurix Therapeutics, JUN 25, 2020, View Source [SID1234561493]). DeCART plans to combine the use of Nurix’s proprietary targeted protein modulation drugs with the latest T cell genetic engineering technologies to create a drug-enhanced chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) process for cancer. DeCART has been founded by Nurix in partnership with Carl June, M.D., the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy and director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies in the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania,. Dr. June will lead the DeCART founding team and also serve as the chairman of DeCART’s scientific advisory board.
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"On behalf of the founding team, we are very excited to launch DeCART and begin implementing our first drug-enhanced CAR T process with a goal of rapidly advancing towards clinical development," said Dr. June, "We are encouraged by the preclinical results using CBL-B inhibitors to improve T cell phenotype in a manner that is consistent with delivering anti-tumor activity."
DeCART’s first program is expected to use Nurix’s small molecule CBL-B inhibitor, NX-0255, for ex vivo enhancement of T cell biology throughout the processing and engineering of CAR T cells. CBL-B is an E3 ligase target that functions as an intracellular immune checkpoint that regulates T cell activation and immune response. DeCART will explore development and commercialization of CAR T cell therapies for both hematologic and solid tumors.
"We are very pleased to work with leaders from the powerful research, clinical, and management team that have made history at the University of Pennsylvania with the first regulatory approval and commercialization of CART19 therapy," said Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer of Nurix. "Together with DeCART, we plan to introduce a new generation of drug-enhanced CAR T products for patients by integrating pharmacologic control of protein levels within T cells."
DeCART Therapeutics plans to establish operations in Cellicon Valley in the Philadelphia area and will be managed by Ms. Dana Hammill as its chief operating officer. Ms. Hammill is the former director of strategy and business development at the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania where she co-managed Penn-Novartis alliance for commercialization of CART19. Dr. Sands will serve as chairman of the board of directors of DeCART.