Adicet Bio Restructures Pipeline, Cuts Workforce Amid Shift to Autoimmune Focus

Adicet Bio, a cell therapy biotech company, has announced a significant restructuring of its pipeline and workforce as it pivots its focus towards autoimmune diseases. The company is discontinuing a clinical-stage allogeneic cell therapy program and reducing its staff by 30% in a strategic move to extend its cash runway and prioritize development in the autoimmune space.

Pipeline Restructuring and Program Discontinuation

Adicet has made the decision to discontinue ADI-270, an allogeneic gamma delta T-cell therapy that was being evaluated in a phase 1 trial for patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The company had begun enrollment for this trial in November 2024, but will now close enrollment following the program's discontinuation.

Despite the program's termination, Adicet reported promising early results from the ADI-270 trial. According to a July 23 data cut, five patients who received the planned target dose level of ADI-270, plus a second lower dose, demonstrated a 100% disease control rate and a 20% best overall response rate. Notably, no cases of cytokine release syndrome or immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome were reported in the phase 1 data.

Strategic Shift to Autoimmune Diseases

In light of the restructuring, Adicet is refocusing its efforts on autoimmune diseases. The company is prioritizing AD1-001, an allogeneic gamma delta CAR-T therapy currently being evaluated in a phase 1 study across multiple autoimmune conditions, including lupus nephritis and systemic sclerosis. This strategic pivot was bolstered by the FDA's decision to grant fast-track designation to AD1-001 in June 2024 for certain lupus nephritis patients.

It's worth noting that AD1-001 had previously been studied in a phase 1 dose-escalation cancer study that launched in 2021. However, this trial was halted prematurely in February 2025, according to ClinicalTrials.gov.

Workforce Reduction and Financial Implications

As part of its restructuring efforts, Adicet Bio is implementing a significant workforce reduction. The company plans to lay off 30% of its staff, with the cuts expected to be "substantially completed" by the end of the third quarter of 2025. While the exact number of affected employees was not specified, Adicet reported having 152 full-time employees at the end of 2024.

The combination of workforce reduction and pipeline prioritization is anticipated to extend Adicet's cash runway into the fourth quarter of 2026. This strategic move allows the company to focus its resources on its newly prioritized autoimmune disease programs.