On March 9, 2026 Cartesian Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNAC) ("we", the "Company" or "Cartesian"), a late clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering cell therapy for autoimmune diseases, reported financial results for the year ended December 31, 2025, and outlined recent business updates.

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"Building on a productive year, we look forward to a potentially transformative 2026 as we advance Descartes-08 across several autoimmune indications," said Carsten Brunn, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Cartesian. "Our top priority remains delivering on our Phase 3 AURORA trial in myasthenia gravis (MG), for which we are on track to enroll approximately 100 patients. This trial represents a crucial opportunity to demonstrate the potential of Descartes-08 to improve patient outcomes and redefine the standard-of-care for MG. Descartes-08’s ease of use, including, flexible, convenient outpatient administration with no preconditioning chemotherapy, combined with deep and durable responses observed through 12 months following a single course of treatment, and a favorable safety profile, underscore our belief that Descartes-08 holds significant promise to deliver meaningful benefit to patients."

Dr. Brunn continued, "Beyond MG, we are working to activate sites for our Phase 2 TRITON trial of Descartes-08 in myositis, which we plan to initiate in the first half of 2026. In parallel, we are also excited to explore potentially enhanced cell therapy delivery options of existing product candidates and next generation agents in development through in-vivo platforms with multiple feasibility studies underway. With an upcoming year of focused clinical execution, we believe we are well-positioned to fill the significant unmet need that remains within the autoimmune treatment landscape."

Pipeline Progress and Anticipated Milestones

Enrollment Continues to Progress in the Phase 3 AURORA Trial of Descartes-08 in Participants with MG. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 AURORA trial is designed to assess Descartes-08, Cartesian’s autologous anti-B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) versus placebo (1:1 randomization) administered as six once-weekly outpatient infusions without preconditioning chemotherapy in approximately 100 patients with acetylcholine receptor autoantibody positive (AChR Ab+) MG. The primary endpoint will assess the proportion of Descartes-08 participants with an improvement in MG Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) score of three points or more at Month 4 compared to placebo. In December 2025, the AURORA trial was named to Nature Medicine’s "Eleven clinical trials that will shape medicine in 2026" list.
Phase 2 TRITON Trial Initiation in Myositis Anticipated in 1H26. In January 2026, Cartesian announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the investigational new drug (IND) application for its planned Phase 2 TRITON trial in myositis. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial in myositis is designed to assess Descartes-08 versus placebo (1:1 randomization) administered as six weekly outpatient infusions without preconditioning chemotherapy in up to 50 patients with moderate to severe multi-refractory dermatomyositis and antisynthetase syndrome. The primary endpoint is expected to assess safety and efficacy of Descartes-08 compared to placebo added to standard of care in participants with myositis at Week 24. The Company currently intends to conduct a blinded interim analysis through the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) after ten patients reach the primary endpoint, at which point Cartesian may revise sample size assumptions to what could be necessary to support the trial becoming pivotal, pending FDA review.
Phase 1/2 HELIOS Pediatric Trial of Descartes-08 in Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM) Remains Ongoing. In January 2026, Cartesian announced the initiation of its Phase 1/2 (HELIOS) pediatric trial of Descartes-08 in children and young adults with autoimmune diseases, including JDM. JDM is a rare pediatric autoimmune disorder marked by pathognomonic skin rash and muscle inflammation affecting multiple organ systems. The FDA previously granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation to Descartes-08 for the treatment of JDM.
Descartes-08’s Mechanism of Action and Phase 2b 12-Month Data in MG Highlighted in Nature Medicine. In January 2026, Cartesian announced the publication of two peer reviewed journal articles in Nature Medicine detailing the mechanism of action of Descartes-08 and outlining deep and durable response data observed throughout 12 months after a single course of therapy in the Phase 2b trial of Descartes-08, consistent with previously announced 12-month data.
Continuing Evaluation of the Potential for Enhanced Delivery Platforms for Cell Therapies. The Company continues to evaluate the potential for enhanced delivery platforms for its cell therapies with multiple agreements in place to explore optimizing in-vivo delivery of Descartes-08 and next generation agents currently in development.

Corporate Updates

Adrian Bot Appointed to Cartesian’s Board of Directors. Adrian Bot, M.D., Ph.D., was appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors in December 2025. Dr. Bot is a biopharma executive with three decades of experience in research and development with a focus on immune, cell, gene therapy and nanomedicines. His appointment to the Board of Directors supports the Company’s strategic expansion to explore potential enhanced delivery platforms for cell therapies.
Carsten Brunn Named Cartesian’s Chairman of the Board of Directors. Dr. Brunn was appointed Cartesian’s Chairman of the Board of Directors in October 2025 following the departure of Carrie S. Cox who stepped down to focus on other responsibilities, including her recent appointment as Executive Chair of another publicly-traded company. In connection with Dr. Brunn’s assumption of the role of Chairman of the Board, Patrick Zenner, M.B.A., was named as Lead Independent Director of the Board of Directors.

Full Year 2025 Financial Results

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash as of December 31, 2025 was $126.9 million and is expected to support planned operations, including completion of the ongoing Phase 3 AURORA trial and initiation of its Phase 2 TRITON trial in myositis, into mid-2027.
Research and development expenses were $58.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $45.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in expenses was primarily a result of increased expenses associated with the ongoing Phase 3 AURORA trial coupled with an increase in employee expenses as a result of headcount growth.
General and administrative expenses were $31.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $30.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in expenses was primarily the result of increased facilities and stock-based compensation expenses.
Net loss was $130.3 million, or $5.02 net loss per share allocable to common stockholders (basic), for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to net loss of $77.4 million, or $4.48 net loss per share allocable to common stockholders (basic), for the year ended December 31, 2024.

About Descartes-08

Descartes-08, Cartesian’s lead cell therapy candidate, is an autologous CAR-T product targeting BCMA in clinical development for generalized MG and myositis, specifically dermatomyositis and antisynthetase syndrome. In contrast to conventional DNA-based CAR T-cell therapies, Cartesian’s CAR-T administration is designed to not require preconditioning chemotherapy, can be administered in the outpatient setting, and does not carry the risk of genomic integration associated with cancerous transformation. Descartes-08 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of MG, and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation for the treatment of juvenile dermatomyositis.

(Press release, Selecta Biosciences, MAR 9, 2026, View Source [SID1234663373])