ALA-101: CAR19-iNKT
ALA-101 is a next-generation "off-the-shelf" CAR-iNKT cell therapy that targets CD19+ B cell lymphomas and leukaemias.
What is ALA-101’s targeting mechanism?
ALA-101 contains a CAR that targets CD19. CD19 is an antigen found on the surface of many blood cancers. Certain forms of lymphoma also express CD1d, which when bound to a glycolipid, can be recognised by iNKT cells, making them dual targeting.
What diseases will ALA-101 treat?
ALA-101 is being developed to target CD19+ lymphoma and leukemia. There were more than 140,000 cases of CD19+ lymphomas and leukaemias in the US alone in 2023 which led to more than 40,000 deaths.
How could this change the cancer landscape?
Unlike the currently approved CAR-T products that treat CD19+ haematological malignancies, which must be manufactured from the patients T cells, ALA-101 is being developed as an off-the-shelf product. This could be transformative for the sector.
