Cartography Biosciences Secures $67M Funding for Novel Cancer Drug Development

Cartography Biosciences, a San Francisco Bay Area biotechnology company, has announced a successful $67 million Series B funding round to advance its innovative cancer treatment pipeline. The funding will primarily support the development of CBI-1214, a promising T cell engager targeting colorectal cancer, with clinical trials set to commence in early 2026.

T Cell Engagers: A Growing Trend in Cancer Treatment

T cell engagers, a class of multifunctional antibody drugs, have gained significant traction in recent years due to their success in treating various diseases, including blood cancers, eye disorders, and hemophilia. Cartography aims to extend this approach to solid tumors, specifically focusing on colorectal cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.

CBI-1214, Cartography's lead program, targets LY6G6D, a protein uniquely expressed on colorectal tumors. The company believes this approach could potentially treat the most common form of the disease, offering hope for patients with limited treatment options beyond chemotherapy and targeted drugs.

Kevin Parker, Cartography's founder and former Stanford University researcher, emphasized the potential of T cell engagers in transforming "cold" tumors into "hot" ones by drawing immune cells to the tumor site. This strategy has shown promise in other cancer types, such as uveal melanoma and small cell lung cancer, with drugs like Immunocore's Kimmtrak and Amgen's Imdelltra.

Expanding Horizons in Cancer Research

While CBI-1214 takes center stage, Cartography is simultaneously developing two additional early-stage programs for solid tumors, including another T cell engager. The company's innovative approach has attracted attention from major players in the pharmaceutical industry, as evidenced by its partnership with Gilead Sciences last year to develop treatments for triple-negative breast cancer and adenocarcinoma.

The recent funding round, led by Pfizer Ventures, included contributions from over a dozen firms, including Amgen Ventures, a16z, and Catalio Capital Management. Michael Baran, a partner at Pfizer Ventures, expressed enthusiasm for Cartography's progress, stating, "With a strong discovery platform and a growing pipeline, Cartography is quickly emerging as a leader in antibody therapeutics."

As Cartography prepares to initiate its first human study for CBI-1214 in early 2026, the pharmaceutical industry watches with keen interest to see if this novel approach will deliver on its promise of more effective and targeted cancer treatments.