Cartesian announces first patient dosed in Phase 1 trial of Descartes-15

Cartesian Therapeutics announced that the first patient has been dosed in its first-in-human Phase 1 trial of Descartes-15, the Company’s next-generation autologous anti-B cell maturation antigen mRNA-engineered chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. Descartes-15 is designed to have predictable and controllable pharmacokinetics, including technological advances that enhance CAR stability even in the presence of target-driven suppression of CAR. Similar to Descartes-08, the Company’s lead product candidate, Descartes-15 is designed to be administered without preconditioning chemotherapy and does not use integrating vectors. Relative to Descartes-08, Descartes-15 has been observed to achieve an approximately ten-fold increase in CAR expression and selective target-specific killing in preclinical studies. The Phase 1 dose escalation trial will assess the safety and tolerability of outpatient Descartes-15 administration in patients with multiple myeloma. Following the Phase 1 dose escalation trial, the Company expects to subsequently assess Descartes-15 in autoimmune indications.