GeneTherapyLive’s Weekly Rewind – September 17, 2021

Welcome to GeneTherapyLive’s Weekly Rewind! We’ve compiled 5 highlights from this week’s coverage of advances in gene and cell therapies, including FDA actions, notable research, and interviews with experts across the field.

1. Addressing Exhausted T-Cells in CAR T Therapy: Joseph A. Fraietta, PhD

The director of the Solid Tumor Immunotherapy Lab at the University of Pennsylvania discussed the issue of exhausted T-cells, touching on the role of BET proteins in T-cell function and their mechanism of exhaustion.

2. Astellas Pauses Gene Therapy Trial for X-Linked Myotubular Myopathy

Following Astellas Pharma’s voluntary pause of their ASPIRO trial due to a patient experiencing a serious liver AE, the trial has now been placed on a second clinical hold after the patient died. This marks the fourth death over the course of the trial.

3. Elucidating the Role of HTRA1 in Developing AMD: Gregory S. Hageman, PhD; Brandi L. Williams, PhD

Directors from the Moran Eye Center discussed their research on the genetics of age-related macular degeneration, including the mechanism of AMD and their discovery of the protective effect of the HTRA1 gene.

4. T Cell Therapy Trial for High-Risk Patients With COVID-19 Now Enrolling

Tevogen Bio and Thomas Jefferson University are beginning enrollment of their phase 1 trial of TVGN-489 for the treatment of high-risk patients with COVID-19, which could potentially be the first cell therapy treatment for the virus.

5. TAC T-Cell Therapy vs CAR T-Cell Therapy

Paul Lammers, MD, MSc, the president and chief executive officer of Triumvira Immunologics, discussed the company’s T-cell antigen coupler technology, its potential in both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, and their investigations in their lead program, TAC-01 HER2.