Caribou halts allogeneic CAR-T programmes amid funding challenges
Caribou Biosciences is discontinuing development of its two allogeneic CAR-T candidates, vispa-cel and CB-011, as it explores strategic alternatives. The company also plans substantial workforce reductions, with changes expected to be largely completed by the end of 2026.
Vispa-cel was being developed for relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had reached the point of preparing for a pivotal Phase 3 trial. CB-011 was being evaluated for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Despite promising clinical potential, Caribou said it had been unable to secure the funding needed to advance the programmes.
The decision highlights the financing challenges facing developers of off-the-shelf cell therapies. While allogeneic approaches aim to simplify manufacturing and improve patient access compared with autologous CAR-T, questions around clinical differentiation, durability and commercial viability continue to influence investment decisions.
Read more via Biopharma Dive
Forbion raises €2.3 billion across two biotech funds
European life sciences venture capital firm Forbion has raised €2.3 billion ($2.6 billion) across two new funds, marking the largest fundraising in the firm's history and bringing its assets under management to approximately €7.5 billion.
The funds, Forbion Growth Opportunities Fund IV and Forbion Ventures Fund VIII, have the capacity to finance approximately 30 biotechnology companies. The growth fund will focus on later-stage biopharmaceutical businesses in Europe and North America, while the ventures fund will support therapeutics-focused companies, including new ventures built around promising assets and experienced teams.
The scale of the raise is a positive signal for European biotech investment, although the impact will depend on how capital is deployed across therapeutic areas and development stages.
Read more via Fierce Biotech
Atsena reports positive preliminary data for inherited retinal disease gene therapy
Atsena Therapeutics has reported encouraging preliminary safety and efficacy results from Parts A and B of the LIGHTHOUSE trial evaluating ATSN-201, an investigational gene therapy for X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS), an inherited retinal disease that can cause progressive vision loss. There are currently no approved disease-specific treatments for the condition.
Among nine patients treated at the dose selected for the pivotal study, six demonstrated improvements in retinal sensitivity measured by microperimetry, five showed structural improvements on optical coherence tomography, and three achieved visual acuity of 20/40 or better. The company also reported sustained improvements in retinal structure and visual function in the earliest-treated patient at three years of follow-up.
ATSN-201 uses Atsena's AAV.SPR capsid technology, designed to target photoreceptors in the central retina. The programme is now progressing through Part C, the pivotal Phase 3 portion of LIGHTHOUSE, with enrolment expected to complete in the first quarter of 2027. Topline results are anticipated in the first half of 2028, with a potential Biologics License Application submission targeted for the second half of that year.
Read more via GlobeNewswire
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