US Government Injects Millions into In Vivo Cell Therapy Research

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has unveiled its latest round of grant awardees for the Engineering of Immune Cells Inside the Body (EMBODY) program, signaling a significant shift in federal research funding priorities. This move highlights the second Trump administration's focus on advancing in vivo cell therapies, particularly in the realms of cancer treatment and autoimmune disorders.

Emerging Biotechs Secure Substantial Funding

Among the notable recipients is immunoVec, a Los Angeles-based startup that debuted on October 8th with up to $40.7 million in federal funding. The company is developing polymeric nanoparticles for DNA delivery to cells, positioning its technology as an alternative to viral vectors, lipid nanoparticles, and mRNA payloads. ImmunoVec's focus on in vivo natural killer cell therapies for autoimmune diseases sets it apart in a field dominated by CAR-T approaches.

Another significant award went to Kernal Bio and its collaborators, who received up to $48 million to advance an in vivo mRNA-encoded CAR T-cell program. This funding comes despite the administration's previous decision to cut $500 million in mRNA vaccine funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

Gene Editing Takes Center Stage

Tessera Therapeutics secured up to $41.3 million for its innovative gene editing platform. The company's technology utilizes lipid nanoparticles to deliver an RNA-based "gene writer" capable of editing or inserting DNA into the genome. Tessera aims to leverage this approach to enhance T cells' ability to combat cancer and autoimmune diseases.

"We are honored to receive this support from ARPA-H to develop the next generation of immunotherapies," said Michael Holmes, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Tessera Therapeutics. "This work builds on the progress we've made using our gene writing and delivery platforms to engineer T cells in vivo and has the potential to dramatically improve the accessibility, safety and scalability of currently available CAR-T therapies."

Cytiva, a subsidiary of Danaher Corporation, is also pursuing innovative CAR-T therapies for cancer. Their approach involves using lipid nanoparticles to deliver CRISPR gene editors to immune cells. The company's collaboration with academic institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley's Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), builds on their recent success in designing a custom CRISPR therapy for a rare metabolic disease.

Industry Implications and Future Outlook

These substantial investments in in vivo cell therapies come at a crucial time for the pharmaceutical industry. Despite challenging market conditions that have led to layoffs at companies like Cytiva and Tessera, the field continues to attract significant attention from both government agencies and big pharma.

Recent acquisitions underscore the growing interest in this technology. AstraZeneca acquired EsoBiotech for $1 billion in March, AbbVie paid $2.1 billion for Capstan Therapeutics in June, and Gilead Sciences' Kite Pharma purchased Interius BioTherapeutics for $350 million in August.

As these newly funded projects progress, they have the potential to reshape the landscape of cancer treatment and autoimmune disease management, offering hope for more effective, personalized, and accessible therapies in the years to come.