Myeloid Therapeutics Restructures, Focuses on Clinical Trials Amid Preclinical Shift
Myeloid Therapeutics, a developer of in vivo cell therapies and gene editing technology, has undergone a restructuring to prioritize its two clinical-stage cancer programs, CEO Daniel Getts confirmed to Endpoints News. This strategic shift has led to staff reductions, particularly impacting the company’s preclinical teams.
Endpoints News’ investigation, based on LinkedIn data and email outreach, suggests approximately 15 employees have left Myeloid. Getts declined to comment on specific numbers or deprioritized programs but acknowledged the company’s changes.
Co-founded by Columbia University’s Siddhartha Mukherjee and Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Ronald Vale, Myeloid launched in 2021, raising $123 million to advance its in vivo cell therapy approach. Unlike traditional CAR-T therapies, Myeloid’s method uses mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles to modify immune cells directly within the patient, potentially offering a more accessible and safer treatment option.
Myeloid is currently conducting Phase 1 trials for MT-302 (targeting TROP2 in solid tumors) and MT-303 (targeting GPC3 in liver cancer). Getts stated that dose escalation is ongoing, and the company plans to release comprehensive monotherapy data upon completion. He emphasized the promising data supporting these programs’ potential for frontline use, which necessitates increased operational and financial resources.
The restructuring’s impact on Myeloid’s preclinical work, specifically its “CREATE” (CRISPR-Enabled Autonomous Transposable Element) gene editing platform, remains uncertain. This technology, published in a January scientific journal, combines CRISPR with retrotransposons for precise gene insertion.
Myeloid’s CREATE platform had a previous partnership with Prime Medicine, which ended in a legal dispute and subsequent $13.5 million settlement paid by Prime. Getts did not clarify the platform’s future, stating, “We’ll be sharing more about its direction at the appropriate time.”
This restructuring signals a strategic pivot for Myeloid Therapeutics, emphasizing its clinical-stage programs while the fate of its innovative gene editing technology remains to be determined.
Source:
https://endpts.com/cell-therapy-startup-myeloid-narrows-focus-as-staff-shrinks/
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