On May 11, 2026 Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FATE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing a transformative pipeline of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cellular immunotherapies broadly to patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported data this week featuring its off-the-shelf CAR T-cell programs FT819, FT839, and FT836 at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) Annual Meeting to be held in Boston, MA, May 11–15, 2026.
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"We are excited to highlight our leadership in delivering off-the-shelf CAR T cells with less-intensive or no conditioning chemotherapy to ensure broad patient accessibility," said Bob Valamehr, Ph.D., MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fate Therapeutics. "With FT819, we are demonstrating that it is feasible to drive CAR T-cell efficacy with less-intensive or no conditioning chemotherapy in SLE and believe that eliminating the need for intensive conditioning chemotherapy has the potential to significantly improve the safety and clinical benefit of cellular therapies. With our next generation CAR T-cell programs, FT836 and FT839, we are illustrating that through precise multiplexed-engineering of iPSCs to generate clonal master banks that serve as the starting point for large scale manufacture of uniform and consistent drug product, it is feasible to tackle complex multicellular diseases, support functional persistence without the need for intensive conditioning chemotherapy, and create synergy with standard-of-care therapies to deliver effective treatments for patients with unmet need."
Presentation Summaries Include:
Title: FT819 Drives B cell Compartment Remodeling of Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Without Conditioning Chemotherapy; Poster Presentation Date / Time: Tuesday, May 12, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM ET
FT819 is the Company’s off-the-shelf, CD19-targeted, iPSC-derived CAR T-cell program, which is currently being investigated in a Phase 1 study for patients with moderate-to-severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) including lupus nephritis and extrarenal lupus (NCT06308978). Data presented this week shows that in Regimen B of the Phase 1 study with a data cutoff of April 9, 2026, a single dose of FT819 without conditioning chemotherapy and in the presence of background therapy demonstrated meaningful clinical responses at dose level 1 in patients with active SLE, with 3 of 3 patients achieving systemic lupus erythematosus responder index (SRI-4) and 2 of 3 patients achieving lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS). The positive clinical outcomes were supported mechanistically by the observation that B cells in the periphery as well as in secondary lymphoid tissue (nasopharyngeal swabs) were significantly depleted. Notably, depletion (79% on average) of major B cell clones (as defined by B cell receptor sequencing) were observed, with the depletion lasting up to 12 months following treatment. Collectively, preliminary data demonstrate that treatment with FT819 without conditioning chemotherapy and in the presence of background therapy can drive comprehensive changes in B cell repertoire that are associated with clinical benefit, alongside a favorable safety profile. Patient treatment at the higher dose of 900 million cells (dose level 2) has been initiated.
Title: FT839: A Multi-Antigen Targeting Off-the-Shelf dual-CAR T cell for the Treatment of Pathogenic B and T Cells in Autoimmune Diseases; Oral Presentation Date / Time: Thursday, May 14, 8:30 AM – 8:45 AM ET
FT839 is a next generation, off-the-shelf dual CAR T-cell therapy targeting CD19 and CD38 to deplete multiple pathogenic immune cell populations that drive hematological and complex autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), type I diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. Preclinical data to be presented show broad, selective depletion of pathogenic immune cell subtypes in RA and SLE disease samples, including over 99% of B cells, plasmablasts, and plasma cells and more than 90% of activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, while sparing non-activated T cells, which comprise most of the endogenous T-cell population. The presentation will also demonstrate that targeting capabilities of FT839 are further enhanced through synergistic pairing with standard-of-care (SOC) therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAb; e.g. rituximab) or clinically approved T-cell engagers (e.g. epcoritamab), to activate either the engineered Fc receptor, hnCD16, or the novel CD3 Fusion receptor, respectively, improving cytolytic activity by ~3.5-6x on CAR antigen negative targets. With Sword and ShieldTM technology, FT839 persistence is enhanced ~60x compared to CAR T cells lacking Sword and ShieldTM engineering in HLA-mismatched allogeneic settings, while the generation and expansion of product-specific immune cell responses are severely blunted (~1/900), thereby reducing the need for intensive conditioning chemotherapy. Importantly, non-product specific T cells were spared. FT839 is produced through a scalable and reproducible process that enables on-demand availability of a homogenous CAR T-cell therapy, overcoming key accessibility and safety limitations of autologous CAR T-cell therapies, selectively depleting disease-driving B lineage and activated T cells for the treatment of patients with complex autoimmune and hematological diseases.
Title: CAR T cells Targeting pan-Tumor Antigens MICA/B can be Uniquely Combined with SOC Treatments without Conditioning Chemotherapy for Broad and Effective Therapeutic Application in Cancer; Poster Presentation Date / Time: Wednesday, May 13, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM ET
FT836 is a next generation, off-the-shelf CAR T-cell therapy that targets the novel and inducible pan-tumor antigens MICA/B. FT836 is engineered to enable rational combination with SOC therapeutics such as mAbs, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immune modulators across both hematological malignancies and solid tumor settings. Integrated engineered elements, including Sword and Shield technology, support broader and more universal application without the requirements for conditioning chemotherapy. Preclinical data to be presented demonstrate potent and durable control of multiple solid and liquid xenograft tumor models of varying origin and antigen expression by FT836 activity as a monotherapy or in combination with mAbs, such as trastuzumab, cetuximab, or daratumumab (up to 100% tumor control), underscoring its broad and universal therapeutic potential in cancer. FT836 also features Sword and Shield technology, enabling improved persistence (~20-30x) and selective containment of product-specific immune cell responses (~5x product specific and ~1x nonspecific), thereby enabling clinical strategies that are not reliant on conditioning chemotherapy. FT836 is shown to be rationally combined with established SOC therapeutics, including chemotherapy or radiotherapy, that complement its unique mechanisms of action and engineering profile to specifically upregulate both MICA/B (~2-3x) and the CXCR2 ligand CXCL8 (3-4X) expression, enhancing both the cytolytic activity (~5x) and specific trafficking (~2-3x) of FT836. In addition, FT836 is compatible with multiple myeloma standard of care therapeutics such as Bortezomib and Lenalidomide which further enhances the cytolytic activity of FT836 (1.25x + lenalidomide). Collectively, these data demonstrate the broad utility of FT836 and its ability to rationally combine with SOC therapeutic agents without the need for conditioning chemotherapy, supporting expanded patient access across both hematological and solid tumor indications. FT836 is currently being evaluated clinically in advanced solid tumor patients in combination with the trastuzumab and cetuximab (NCT07216105) and in relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma in combination with daratumumab (NCT07221032).
(Press release, Fate Therapeutics, MAY 11, 2026, View Source [SID1234665434])