Houston, TX – September 11, 2023 – March Biosciences, a startup committed to combating challenging cancers unresponsive to existing immunotherapies, has forged a strategic alliance with CTMC, a joint venture between Resilience + MD Anderson Cancer Center. The partnership is focused on the development of March Biosciences’ lead asset, MB-105, an advanced cellular therapy currently in clinical studies at Baylor College of Medicine for the treatment of relapsed T-cell cancers.
Sarah Hein, CEO of March Biosciences, shared, “Our partnership with CTMC marks a critical step forward in our mission to improve care for patients battling T-cell lymphoma and leukemia. By combining March Biosciences’ innovations with CTMC’s proven capabilities, we endeavor to reshape patient outcomes.”
T-cell lymphoma and leukemia are rare diseases with a poor prognosis. After patients have relapsed and become refractory to standard of care, therapeutic options become severely limited, underscoring the urgent need for innovative solutions. Historical development of targeted and immunotherapies has been challenging due to the risk of on-target toxicities against normal T-cells.
MB-105, a CD5-targeted CAR T-cell therapy initially being developed for patients with T-cell lymphoma, strives to change this treatment paradigm by offering a much-needed alternative for patients who have exhausted other options. The Phase 2 study is targeted to initiate in the first half of 2024, a sign of the partnership’s commitment to rapidly advance MB-105 into the next phase of clinical development.
“Our unique risk-sharing model allows us to collaborate with organizations like March Biosciences to accelerate the development and manufacture of innovative cell therapies, like MB-105, and bring them into the clinic with a consistent and scalable manufacturing process,” said CTMC’s CEO, Jason Bock.
About March Biosciences
March Biosciences, launched from the Baylor College of Medicine Cell and Gene Therapy Center, is dedicated to addressing challenging cancers unresponsive to current immunotherapies. Its lead asset, MB-105, is a CD5-targeted CAR T-cell therapy currently in Phase I trials at Baylor College of Medicine for patients with refractory T-cell lymphoma and leukemia, with promising signals of efficacy and safety. Learn more at www.march.bio.
About CTMC
CTMC – a joint venture between MD Anderson Cancer Center + Resilience – was created to accelerate the development and manufacturing of impactful cell therapies for patients with cancer. CTMC is uniquely positioned within the Texas Medical Center to provide therapies that begin and end with the patient. By leveraging the strengths of MD Anderson and Resilience we start clinical trials faster and provide a clear path to robust commercialization. Learn more at www.ctmc.com.
Forward-Looking Statement: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including those related to the clinical development of MB-105 and other potential therapies. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, the progress of clinical trials, regulatory approvals, market demand for new therapies, and competitive dynamics in the biotechnology sector.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
March Biosciences
Federica Giordano, PhD
CTMC
Kellyann Zuzulo