Alaunos Therapeutics
Alaunos Therapeutics is a clinical stage cellular immuno-oncology company focused on treating solid tumors through adoptive TCR-T cell therapy, utilizing proprietary technologies such as the Sleeping Beauty platform and hunTR® for rapid TCR identification.
Company Overview
Alaunos Therapeutics is a clinical stage cellular immuno-oncology company focused on the treatment of solid tumors through adoptive TCR-T cell therapy. The company specializes in targeting Neoantigens (neoAg) stemming from genomic mutations. Alaunos is known for developing proprietary, rapid, cost-effective solutions to deliver tumor-specific killer T cells to large cancer patient populations with unmet clinical needs.
Innovative Technologies
Alaunos Therapeutics employs non-viral transposition technology called Sleeping Beauty for gene transfer. Their hunTR® platform (human neoantigen T cell Receptor) enables the rapid identification of new, wholly owned TCRs to expand their TCR library. The company also utilizes a proprietary high-throughput TCR screening process, allowing for the rapid functional validation of TCRs.
Therapeutic Focus
Alaunos Therapeutics' TCR-T cell therapy targets hotspot mutations in genes such as KRAS, TP53, and EGFR. Their approach is particularly aimed at fighting the majority of solid tumors with patient-specific solutions. The company's mbIL-15 TCR-T cells have the potential to enhance TCR-T cell persistence and support NK cell antitumor responses in MHC-1 deficient tumors. Additionally, Alaunos has applied their Sleeping Beauty platform to develop transposed CAR-T cell therapies for leukemia and lymphoma patients.
Key Collaborations and Agreements
In collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Alaunos Therapeutics is advancing its TCR-T cell therapy platform. They have a research and development agreement with MD Anderson to push forward the use of Sleeping Beauty in combating solid tumors. Furthermore, Alaunos holds an Exclusive Patent License Agreement with the National Cancer Institute to evaluate TCRs for treatment in patients with advanced cancers.
Manufacturing and Clinical Trials
Alaunos Therapeutics' Phase 1 TCR-T cell products are produced in their state-of-the-art cGMP facility near the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Their manufacturing process involves patient screening, genetic modification using the Sleeping Beauty platform, and expansion of T cells to create patient-specific TCR-T cell products. Their adaptive clinical trial designs at MD Anderson Cancer Center allow for rapid dose finding and dose expansion, targeting solid tumors with engineered TCR-T cells.