On March 5, 2026 Liberate Bio, Inc., a biotechnology company developing genetic medicines that deliver RNA therapies directly to immune cells, reported that it has secured exclusive and non-exclusive licenses to key patents covering chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) designs optimized for myeloid cells, including monocytes and macrophages.
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The licensed intellectual property, originating from Carisma Therapeutics and the University of Pennsylvania, includes methods and designs for CAR constructs specifically engineered for function within myeloid cell populations. These designs complement Liberate’s proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery platform, which selectively programs monocytes and macrophages in vivo.
With both optimized CAR-sequence IP and cell-selective delivery technology, Liberate Bio now integrates the critical components needed to advance in vivo CAR-M therapies toward clinical evaluation.
"This licensing agreement meaningfully strengthens our clinical programs," said Walter R. Strapps, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Liberate Bio. "Myeloid cells have unique biology distinct from T cells, and CAR constructs optimized for their activation and persistence are essential. By combining validated methods for CAR designs with our myeloid-selective LNP platform, we are building a differentiated and highly integrated approach to in vivo cell therapy."
Liberate’s proprietary RAPTOR platform directly screens lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in non-human primates to identify delivery vehicles that target extrahepatic immune cells. As previously reported, Liberate’s lead LNP achieved greater than 99% depletion of circulating B cells in non-human primates through selective programming of monocytes and macrophages
"In vivo CAR-M represents a new chapter in immune reprogramming," said Shawn P. Davis, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Liberate Bio. "By uniting best-in-class delivery with optimized myeloid CAR designs, we are establishing a durable foundation for a scalable and potentially safer alternative to CAR-T — one capable of reaching broader patient populations across autoimmune and oncology indications."
Liberate Bio plans to advance its first in vivo CAR-M candidate toward IND-enabling studies, with the goal of supporting the first clinical evaluation in the second half of 2026 through an investigator-initiated trial.
(Press release, Liberate Bio, MAR 5, 2026, View Source [SID1234663313])