Gene Therapy Business
Takara Bio is engaged in clinical development of gene therapies for cancer, etc., including the oncolytic virus canerpaturev (C-REV) and engineered T cell therapy.
Oncolytic Virus
Canerpaturev (Abbreviated to C-REV)
Canerpaturev (C-REV) is an attenuated strain of the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) that exhibits antitumor activity upon local injection into a tumor due to tumor lysis. Treatment with C-REV also strengthens general immunity against cancer cells, and shows promise for producing an antitumor effect even in tumors not directly injected with C-REV. This type of virus is called an oncolytic virus. These viruses selectively replicate within and destroy tumor tissue without excessively damaging normal tissue, and are being developed as new treatment agents for cancers.
Considering the new mechanism action of C-REV and the unmet medical needs for pancreatic cancer from clinical data obtained before, we will make great efforts on further development for pancreatic cancer. Currently, the phase I of C-REV in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer is being conducted.
Engineered T Cell Therapy
1. siTCRTM Gene Therapy
T cell receptor (TCR) gene therapies involve collecting immune cells called T cells from a cancer patient, transducing TCR genes that have the ability to recognize cancer cells into those T cells, expanding the cells, and administering the cells back into the patinet. These transduced T cells gain the ability to specifically recognize and attack cancer cells, and are thus utilized in cancer therapy. At Takara Bio, we are also developing siTCRTM gene therapies that use our propriatary siTCRTM vector technology, which we believe will improve treatment efficacy.
We are currently conducting phase I/II clinical trials of NY-ESO-1• siTCRTM gene therapy for synovial sarcoma in Japan.
2. CAR Gene Therapy
Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are made by artificially combining T cell surface antibodies that recognize cancer cells with cytotoxic components derived from T cell receptors. CAR gene therapies involve infusion of T cells transduced with CAR genes into the patient, allowing these genetically engineered T cells to specifically recognize and attack cancer cells.
We are currently conducting phase I/II clinical trials of CD19• CAR gene therapy for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Japan.
Proprietary Technology Advancing Gene Therapy
Genetically engineered T cell therapies such as TCR and CAR therapies involve a process of collecting T cells from a patient's body and transducing them with therapeutic genes that increase the ability of the cells to attack cancer. In this process, it is important to enhance transduction effiency and utilize expansion culture for efficiient cell expansion.
Our propriatary RetroNectin® technology is widely used in this process, and we out-license it to many companies and research institutes developing gene therapy products.
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