Benzinga | Dec 13, 2021 08:09AM EST

Celularity Presents Preclinical Data On Allogeneic Genetically Modified Natural Killer And Allogeneic CAR-NK Cell Therapy Programs At ASH 2021

Celularity Inc. (NASDAQ:CELU) ("Celularity") presented preclinical data on the development of its placental-derived allogeneic genetically modified NK cell therapy program (CYNK-101) and its placental-derived allogeneic CAR-NK cell therapy program (CAR19-CYNK), respectively. The Company reported its findings in two poster presentations at the 63rd American Society of Hematology Meeting and Exposition (ASH) taking place in Atlanta and virtually December 11-14, 2021.



Poster no. 2773 "Human Placental CD34+-Derived Natural Killer Cells with High Affinity and Cleavage Resistant CD16 (CYNK-101) in Combination with Daratumumab for Immunotherapy Against CD38 Expressing Hematological Malignancies"

* Session name: 703. Cellular Immunotherapies: Basic and Translational: Poster II

* Presentation date/time: Sunday, 12 December 2021; 6:00 pm

* Room: Georgia World Congress Center, Hall B5

Highlights: CYNK-101 is a cryopreserved, off the shelf, allogeneic NK cell product candidate, overexpressing a highIgG binding affinity, proteinase cleavage resistant, CD16 variant. The results show the synergistic effect of combining CYNK-101 with daratumumab to drive antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity against CD38+ hematological malignancies in vitro and in vivo. In these studies, CYNK-101 was not susceptible to daratumumab-directed fratricide and did not display on-target, off-tumor cytotoxicity, suggesting CYNK-101 may be a unique NK cell platform that preserves innate immune function in the presence of daratumumab.

Poster no. 2779 "Development of CD19 CAR Engineered Human Placental CD34+-Derived Natural Killer Cells (CAR19-CYNK) As an Allogeneic Cancer Immunotherapy"

* Session name: 703. Cellular Immunotherapies: Basic and Translational: Poster II

* Presentation date/time: Sunday, 12 December 2021; 6:00pm

* Room: Georgia World Congress Center, Hall B5

Highlights: The results demonstrate the feasibility and functionality of expressing a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) directed to CD19 on placental CD34+ derived, cryopreserved, off-the-shelf, allogeneic CYNK cells. The introduction of CAR in the product candidate CAR19-CYNK did not impact performance of CYNK cell manufacture and endowed additional tumor cell killing against resistant lymphoma cell lines in a CD19-dependent manner, when tested both in vitro and in vivo.