bluebird bio Announces First Patient Treated in Expansion Cohort of CRB-401, Phase 1 Study of Anti-BCMA CAR T Therapy bb2121

On September 13, 2017 bluebird bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLUE), a clinical-stage company committed to developing potentially transformative gene therapies for serious genetic diseases and T cell-based immunotherapies for cancer, reported that the expansion cohort of the CRB-401 Phase 1 study of bb2121, an anti-BCMA CAR T therapy, has been initiated (Press release, bluebird bio, SEP 13, 2017, View Source [SID1234520502]). The objective of the CRB-401 study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of bb2121 in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma and determine a recommended Phase 2 dose. bluebird bio and Celgene Corp. are jointly developing bb2121.

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"The high response rate and sustained benefit seen with bb2121 in the recent data presented at the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) annual meeting in June are particularly gratifying given the limited therapeutic options available for the heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma participating in our study," said David Davidson, MD, chief medical officer, bluebird bio. "In the expansion stage of the CRB-401 study, we will be treating an additional cohort of patients with a dose range shown to be active in the prior dose escalation stage of the study to gain more experience with the safety, efficacy and durability of response of bb2121."

Patients in the expansion cohort will be treated at a dose range of 150 to 450 x 106 CAR+ T cells and will be required to have prior exposure to a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent and daratumumab.
About bluebird bio, Inc.
With its lentiviral-based gene therapies, T cell immunotherapy expertise and gene editing capabilities, bluebird bio has built an integrated product platform with broad potential application to severe genetic diseases and cancer. bluebird bio’s gene therapy clinical programs include its Lenti-D product candidate, currently in a Phase 2/3 study, called the Starbeam Study, for the treatment of cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, and its LentiGlobin product candidate, currently in four clinical studies for the treatment of transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia, and severe sickle cell disease. bluebird bio’s oncology pipeline is built upon the company’s leadership in lentiviral gene delivery and T cell engineering, with a focus on developing novel T cell-based immunotherapies, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T) and T cell receptor (TCR) therapies. bluebird bio’s lead oncology program, bb2121, is an anti-BCMA CAR T program partnered with Celgene. bb2121 is currently being studied in a Phase 1 trial for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

bluebird bio also has discovery research programs utilizing megaTAL/homing endonuclease gene editing technologies with the potential for use across the company’s pipeline.

bluebird bio has operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Seattle, Washington and Europe.