Camarillo biotech company Immpact Bio has completed its merger with Kalthera Inc., another biotech company focused on the treatment of B-cell lymphoma.
Kalthera currently operates a clinical trial for a bispecific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy candidate that according to early results, is safe and effective in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma. Following a median follow up of up to nine months, six of the seven patients in the trial exhibited complete remission.“Results from this bispecific CAR T-cell candidate are very promising, and that is exactly why we’re so thrilled to work with the brilliant minds at Kalthera,” Dr. Rick Kendall, chief executive of Immpact Bio, said in a statement.
Immpact is developing CAR T-cell platform technologies to address challenges for cell therapies in oncology, which include on-target off-tumor toxicities and antigen escape. “Kalthera’s promising clinical program and world-class CAR engineering expertise will help Immpact Bio move forward as a clinical-stage company and bring us one step closer to delivering new and potentially life-changing cancer therapies,” Kendall said in a statement.Kalthera’s Interim Chief Executive, now Immpact’s CSO/COO, Jim Johnston, said that in addition to the clinical priorities shared by Kalthera and Immpact, the complementary nature of both companies’ expertise was an appealing factor of the merger.Financial terms of the merger, which was about six months in the making, were not disclosed.Kendall said there are multiple competitors, both companies and academics, in the lymphoma market. Although the current study is small in size, he believes Immpact has a best-in-class CAR T-cell candidate.Immpact Bio has financial backing from OrbiMed, Novartis Venture Fund, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Takeda Ventures Inc., RM Global Partners BioPharma Investment Fund, Bukwang Pharmaceutical, Hayan Health Networks Inc., and JVC Investment Partners.
Immpact Bio.Makes B-Cell Acquisition
