J&J-Backed Link Cell Therapies Launches with $60M to Develop Next-Gen CAR-T Therapies

Link Cell Therapies, a Stanford University spinout, has emerged from stealth mode with a substantial $60 million Series A financing round to advance its innovative CAR-T therapy platform. The California-based biotech aims to create more potent and precise cell therapies for a range of tumor types while minimizing damage to healthy tissues.

Groundbreaking "Logic-Gating" Technology

At the core of Link's approach is its proprietary "logic-gating technology," designed to enable higher precision in CAR-T cell deployment. This novel technique allows CAR-T cells to activate and kill target cells only when a specific combination of antigens is present on the tumor surface, potentially bypassing normal tissues that express only one of those targets.

Dr. Robbie Majzner, Link co-founder and associate professor at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, explained, "We recognized that for most cancer types, particularly solid tumors, the promise of CAR-T therapies is limited by a dearth of cancer-specific targets and abundant expression of most solid tumor targets in normal vital tissue."

Pipeline and Development Timeline

Link's lead program, LNK001, is currently in preclinical development for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The company anticipates initiating Phase 1 dosing in 2026. A second program targeting colorectal cancer is slated for human testing in 2027. Additionally, Link is advancing earlier-stage CAR-T programs in both solid and liquid cancers, which it plans to develop internally or through strategic partnerships.

Investor Support and Financial Details

The $60 million Series A round was led by Johnson & Johnson's venture capital arm, with participation from founding investors Samsara BioCapital and Sheatree Capital. Other notable backers include Bristol Myers Squibb and Kyowa Kirin. This latest funding brings Link's total capital raised to $92 million since its founding in 2022, including earlier seed financing.

Dr. Crystal Mackall, Link co-founder and professor of pediatrics and medicine at Stanford, emphasized the potential of their approach: "We believe this technology will enable potent CAR-T therapies to attack a wide range of tumors while sparing healthy tissue."