On November 29, 2018 Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA), a leading off-the-shelf, allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy company developing novel treatments for patients with cancer, autoimmune and viral diseases, reported details of the Company’s next-generation chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) technologies and pipeline in conjunction with hosting a CAR T Breakfast Teach-In event in New York, NY (Press release, Atara Biotherapeutics, NOV 29, 2018, View Source [SID1234531739]).
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"Atara is building a leading next-generation and off-the-shelf, allogeneic CAR T pipeline," said Isaac Ciechanover M.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Atara Biotherapeutics. "Although the current generation autologous CAR T immunotherapies have transformed outcomes for patients with B cell malignancies, we believe many opportunities exist to improve outcomes, expand to earlier lines of therapy and address areas of high unmet need, including acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and solid tumors. We are collaborating with academic leaders to advance programs using technologies at the forefront of CAR T immunotherapy innovation."
The event featured next generation CAR T experts:
Michel Sadelain, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Center for Cell Engineering, and Head, Gene Expression and Gene Transfer Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)
Marco Davila, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Attending Physician, Department of Blood & Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Immunotherapy Medical Director, Cell Therapy Facility, Moffitt Cancer Center
Dr. Sadelain described CAR T technologies including novel co-stimulatory domains modified to generate more physiologic signaling, reduce exhaustion, improve persistence and unlock the solid tumor microenvironment. Atara and MSK are collaborating to develop next-generation CAR T immunotherapies using several of these innovative CAR T technologies.
Dr. Davila’s presentation focused on developing promising CAR T immunotherapies for patients with AML and B cell malignancies in collaboration with Atara using modified co-stimulatory subdomains designed to improve persistence and reduce T cell exhaustion.
Dietmar Berger, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head of Research & Development of Atara Biotherapeutics introduced the Company’s strategy to leverage these innovative licensed technologies with Atara’s EBV-specific T cell expertise to advance next-generation, off-the-shelf CAR T programs.
Dr. Berger presented results for an EBV.CD19.28z CAR T that demonstrated high CAR transduction, increased frequency of central memory T cell phenotype, specific and selective CD19 activity, low levels of off-target alloreactivity and strong antigen-specific proliferation and persistence. These findings establish feasibility for engineering EBV-specific T cells by leveraging next-generation CAR technologies, and support further development as an off-the-shelf, allogeneic, CAR T platform to generate IND clinical candidates. He concluded by describing Atara’s CAR T preclinical pipeline, including four oncology programs progressing toward IND.
A webcast replay of the Atara CAR T Breakfast Teach-In can be accessed on the Investors and Media section of Atarabio.com for 30 days following today’s live event.