Munich-based CAR-T company T-CURX has announced its acquisition of Pantherna Therapeutics, a German biotech specialising in mRNA engineering and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technologies.
Pantherna will continue to operate as Pantherna Therapeutics as a wholly owned subsidiary of T-CURX.
The complementary expertise and proprietary technologies of both companies will be leveraged to accelerate the clinical translation of CAR-T strategies, with a clear focus on the clinical validation of in vivo CAR-T therapies.
T-CURX said in its statement that its proprietary technologies and track record for clinical translation of non-viral, transposon-based CAR-T therapies for novel and differentiated targets would be complemented by Pantherna's LNP and mRNA platforms, allowing the pair to advance the development of in vivo CAR-T assets in cancer and other indications.
Financial terms of the transaction are not disclosed.
"With this acquisition, we are bringing together two highly complementary technology platforms and teams," said Ulf Grawunder, CEO and co-founder of T-CURX.
"We are taking a decisive step forward to accelerate the clinical development of differentiated, next-generation in vivo CAR-T therapies."
Our strength in clinical translation of non-viral transposon-based CAR-T therapies, combined with Pantherna’s proprietary mRNA and LNP-based delivery capabilities, allows us to build an efficient engine to expedite clinical development of differentiated in vivo CAR-T assets in cancer, as well as in other indications.
"Joining T-CURX is a natural evolution of our collaboration," added Ansgar Santel, CEO of Pantherna Therapeutics.
"This integration allows us to address both stable and transient cell engineering strategies based on powerful and proven proprietary platforms."
We believe this positions us uniquely to efficiently drive CAR-T innovation forward for patients in need, particularly for in vivo CAR-T strategies across a broad range of therapeutic applications.
T-CURX said the acquisition would enable it to become a leading player in the next-generation CAR-T market, as the first European biotech firm to integrate both proprietary CAR-T and LNP technologies under one roof.
This unique combination would allow for the seamless integration of essential capabilities across the entire value chain, from the discovery phase through to the clinical development of CAR-T products.
Following the acquisition, the company will have a total of 35 employees and will manage a combined portfolio of 16 patent families that protect its technologies and assets.