Mustang Bio, Inc. ("Mustang") (NASDAQ: MBIO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on translating today's medical breakthroughs in cell and gene therapies into potential cures for hematologic cancers, solid tumors and rare genetic diseases, today announced that City of Hope, a world-renowned independent cancer research and treatment center, has begun enrolling patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant multiple myeloma in an innovative CS1 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy (MB-104) trial.
The Phase 1 clinical trial is the first autologous CAR T trial to target the CS1 protein, which is expressed by cancer cells in nearly all multiple myeloma patients. CS1 also has a low expression on normal tissues, preventing those cells from being severely damaged during treatment.
"Multiple myeloma accounts for 10% of all blood and bone marrow cancers. CS1 is a very promising target for multiple myeloma patients who currently have few viable treatment options," said Xiuli Wang, Ph.D., City of Hope research professor in the Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Dr. Wang's team developed the CS1 CAR T and tested it successfully in preclinical and translational research.
To qualify for the trial, multiple myeloma patients will need to have tried three other treatment options and experienced a relapse or found that the disease is treatment-resistant, and they must test positive for the CS1 antigen. During the trial, the patients' T cells will be collected intravenously and reengineered in a City of Hope good manufacturing practice (GMP) facility to express CS1 CARs. The CAR T cells will then be multiplied in a lab and infused back into the patient, where they are expected to proliferate inside a patient's body and better recognize and kill cancer cells.
Manuel Litchman, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Mustang, said, "This groundbreaking CS1 CAR T trial represents an exciting development for multiple myeloma patients. We look forward to learning more about its potential to address this difficult-to-treat disease."
About Mustang Bio
Mustang Bio, Inc. ("Mustang") is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on translating today's medical breakthroughs in cell and gene therapies into potential cures for hematologic cancers, solid tumors and rare genetic diseases. Mustang aims to acquire rights to these technologies by licensing or otherwise acquiring an ownership interest, to fund research and development, and to outlicense or bring the technologies to market. Mustang has partnered with top medical institutions to advance the development of CAR T and CRISPR/Cas9-enhanced CAR T therapies across multiple cancers, as well as a lentiviral gene therapy for XSCID. Mustang is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and files periodic reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mustang was founded by Fortress Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ: FBIO). For more information, visit www.mustangbio.com.
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