MB-105

MB-105  is a CD5 CAR T cell technology. The asset  developed at Baylor College of Medicine, is  currently in the clinic for the treatment of  T-cell lymphoma (TCL), which represents 15% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

Problem

T-Cell Lymphoma

Although targeted and cellular immunotherapies have improved the management of B-cell leukemia and lymphoma, patients with treatment-resistant or recurrent T-cell cancers face limited options. The current standard of care relies on chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplants, with limited targeted therapies available due to shared targets between normal  and malignant T- cells. Chemotherapy refractory T-cell malignancies face an extremely poor prognosis, with typically a less than 20% 3-year survival.

Challenges

Challenging Targets for T Cell Malignancies

The main challenge in treating T-cell lymphoma or leukemia is the potential for on-target off-tumor activity, leading to undesirable side effects and severe immunodeficiency. A limitation that is faced also for CAR T cell therapy. The challenge remains due to the shared expression of targetable antigens between the malignant and normal T-cells.

CD5 as a Target

CD5 is a cell surface marker that is commonly expressed in normal T-cells, thymocytes, and a small subset of B-cells. It is widely expressed in T-cell malignancies, including ∼85-95% of most TCL subtypes. It is further highly expressed in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the challenging B-cell malignancies mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and chronic leukocytic leukemia (CLL).

Our Solution

MB-105

March Biosciences’ lead asset, MB-105, selectively targets CD5, a widely expressed antigen both in normal and malignant T- cells.  Leveraging our proprietary manufacturing processes combined with an optimized CAR design, we are able to overcome key challenges for CAR T cell therapy.

MB-105 CD5 CAR-T represents the most advanced strategy in this category and uniquely addresses these challenges without additional genetic modifications, enabling a robust process and reduced costs during production. Early clinical results have shown robust responses and durability, with a highly favorable safety profile. March Biosciences aims to advance this therapy into the next phase of clinical development.

Publications

Ongoing trial

Autologous CD5 CAR T, developed at Baylor College of Medicine,  is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT03081910) for T-cell lymphoma and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (TCL and T-ALL). Initial results have revealed promising signals of safety and efficacy for these patients, who otherwise have limited treatment options. Enrollment for this trial is ongoing.

Clinical Trial Identifier: NCT03081910