CAR T-cell Therapy CYAD-101 No Longer Under Development for Metastatic CRC

Celyad Oncology has discontinued development its investigational CAR T-cell therapy CYAD-101 for the treatment of patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).¹

The company explained that the decision was based on strategic, financial, and medical review, accounting for the costs associated with the development program and the delays in reaching key medical milestones due to a prior hold placed on a clinical trial. In a press release, the company said that there were no new safety concerns that led to the decision.

The CAR T-cell therapy was under evaluation with concurrent FOLFOX (leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin) and followed by pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with unresectable mCRC in the phase 1b CYAD-101-002 trial (KEYNOTE-B79; NCT04991948).

In March 2022, the FDA placed a clinical hold on the trial due to insufficient information to evaluate risk to study participants.² In February 2022, Celyad Oncology voluntarily paused the trial to investigate reports of 2 deaths on the study.

In August 2022, the FDA lifted the clinical hold on the trial.³ Although the development of CYAD-101 has been discontinued, all patients currently enrolled in CYAD-101 trials will continue to receive their protocol-defined follow-up.

CYAD-101 was an investigational, non-gene edited allogeneic CAR T-cell product engineered to co-express the CAR based on NKG2D, which is expressed on natural killer cells and binds to lymphocyte receptor NKG2DL. NKG2DL is expressed on a wide range of tumor cells, as well as the inhibitory peptide TIM.⁴ TIM expression reduces signaling of the TCR complex by interfering with the CD3ζ component of the complex.

CYAD-211 Remains Under Development

The evaluation of CYAD-211, an allogeneic short hairpin RNA (shRNA)–based, anti-BCMA CAR T-cell therapy for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, will continue in the phase 1 IMMUNICY-1 trial (NCT04613557), according to the press release. The ongoing IMMUNICY-1 trial is investigating treatment of CYAD-211 following preconditioning with cyclophosphamide and fludarabine in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

CYAD-211 is engineered to co-express a BCMA CAR and a single shRNA hairpin, which interferes with the expression of the CD3ζ component of the TCR complex.⁴

References

1. Celyad Oncology provides strategic update. News release. Celyad Oncology. October 12, 2022. Accessed October 14, 2022. https://yhoo.it/3S7CVcK
2. Celyad Oncology announces clinical hold of CYAD-101-002 phase 1b trial. News release. Celyad Oncology. March 2, 2022. Accessed October 14, 2022. https://bwnews.pr/3hzqpCV
3. Celyad Oncology announces FDA lifts clinical hold of CYAD-101-002 phase 1b trial. News release. Celyad Oncology. August 1, 2022. Accessed October 14, 2022. https://yhoo.it/3QcQ0Rk
4. Celyad Oncology. Pipeline. Accessed October 14, 2022. https://bit.ly/3MhnKfy