Arsenal Biosciences will refocus its research efforts on in vivo CAR-T cell therapies and reduce its workforce as it shifts resources away from its prior emphasis on autologous cell therapies for solid tumors.
The South San Francisco biotechnology company said the new strategy will build on its work in T-cell biology, synthetic biology, computation and cell engineering. ArsenalBio plans to apply those capabilities to therapies for a broader range of diseases, including blood cancers and autoimmune disorders.
The company did not disclose the number of jobs affected, the timing of the reductions or the programs that will be discontinued. It said a core team will remain to advance the in vivo strategy and evaluate strategic options for its technologies and assets.
In vivo CAR-T approaches aim to engineer T cells within the body rather than remove a patient’s cells, modify them outside the body and administer them back to the patient. ArsenalBio said it believes this approach provides its largest opportunity to apply its technology platform across more indications and potentially extend cell therapy to patients with chronic diseases.
Since its founding, ArsenalBio has developed technologies and infrastructure intended to support increasingly sophisticated engineering of T cells. The company initially used those capabilities to address challenges associated with autologous cell therapies for solid tumors.
ArsenalBio said it has advanced multiple internally discovered programs into clinical development and generated clinical data demonstrating the feasibility of nonviral engineering of synthetic circuits in human clinical trials. The company plans to present data from its autologous solid-tumor cell-therapy programs at a future medical meeting.
Ken Drazan, ArsenalBio’s co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer, said the company’s decision reflects its assessment that its technology can be applied beyond solid tumors. He said the company intends to use its knowledge of T-cell biology and engineered cell compositions to advance in vivo programs.
The workforce reduction is intended to align the organization with the revised strategy. Drazan said the decision would affect colleagues who helped establish the company’s scientific and technological foundation.
ArsenalBio did not provide a timetable for selecting in vivo CAR-T candidates, beginning clinical studies or disclosing financial details of the restructuring. It said it will provide additional information on its strategy and programs when appropriate.
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