- Company continues to transition business focus to monetizing unique cell therapy intellectual property and prioritizing R&D discovery
- Clinical updates expected by end of year for the Phase 1 dose-escalation IMMUNICY-1 trial for lead shRNA-based allogeneic CAR T candidate, CYAD-211, for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (r/r MM)
Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium – Celyad Oncology SA (Euronext & Nasdaq: CYAD) (the “Company”), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T) therapies for cancer, today provided an update on its financial results and recent business developments for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2022.
“This past quarter has been a pivotal moment for the Company as we focus on a new Celyad 2.0 strategy as we seek to monetize our valuable IP estate and leverage our dynamic shRNA technology for our R&D programs. We’ve bolstered our cash runway with an asset purchase agreement for our manufacturing business unit and we believe we are well-positioned to unleash the power of our IP estate and potentially redefine the cell therapy space,” said Michel Lussier, interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
Recent Highlights
- The Company entered into a €6 million asset purchase agreement with Cellistic whereby Cellistic acquired Celyad Oncology’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) grade cell therapy manufacturing facility
- Based on a strategic, financial and medical review, taking into account the costs associated with the pursuit of the program and the delays to reach key medical milestones following the resolution of the previously announced clinical hold, the Company has decided to discontinue the development of CYAD-101
Update on Business Model and Research Programs
As previously announced, with Celyad 2.0, Celyad Oncology is implementing a strategic shift from an organization focused on clinical development to one prioritizing R&D discovery and the monetization of its IP estate through partnerships, collaborations and license agreements. The Company intends to focus its R&D efforts on areas of expertise where it believes it can leverage the differentiated nature of its platform technology and continue to bolster its IP estate.
The Company possesses key technology and controls IP which covers the potential development of next-generation therapies, including those using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and T cell receptor Inhibitor Molecule (TIM). Celyad Oncology has expanded the IP estate in-licensed from Dartmouth College with additional patents to broadly cover aspects of allogeneic cell therapy.Current discovery programs have the potential to create additional independent IP. The Company is developing a potential next-generation NKG2D Type I receptor CAR T candidate and a technology to potentially utilize this receptor as a basis for dual CAR technology. The Company is also considering the potential to focus R&D efforts on either B7-H6 CAR T or bispecific antibody candidates for a powerful new antigenic target in the oncology field.
In addition, the Company is seeking to advance its shRNA platform through multiplexing technology that allows it to modulate multiple genes simultaneously. This technology is potentially complementary to the Company’s All-in-One Vector approach, which allows for the expression of multiple shRNAs in a single construct within a single transduction step. Combining multiplexed shRNAs with CARs and additional genes of choice provides potential for broad therapeutic functionality.
Update on Clinical Programs
CYAD-211 – Allogeneic shRNA-based, anti-BCMA CAR T candidate for r/r MM
- The dose-escalation Phase 1 IMMUNICY-1 trial is evaluating the tolerability and clinical activity of a single infusion of CYAD-211 following preconditioning with CyFlu (cyclophosphamide and fludarabine) in patients with relapsed / refractory multiple myeloma (r/r MM).
- CYAD-211 was developed to demonstrate potential proof of concept of shRNA technology in the clinic. Our other clinical studies of shRNA disclosed to date have demonstrated encouraging safety and bioactivity signals, and its use as a technology to avoid Graft-versus-Host disease of allogeneic CAR Ts could be a viable approach
- Clinical updates are expected by year end
Third Quarter 2022 Financial Review
As of September 30, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of €13.4 million ($13.1 million). Net cash burn during the first quarter of 2022 amounted to €1.0 million ($1.0 million), in line with expectations. The Company confirms its previous guidance that its existing cash and cash equivalents should be sufficient to fund operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements up to mid-2023. This guidance does not include any potential proceeds from the equity purchase agreement established with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC.
After due consideration of detailed budgets and estimated cash flow forecasts for the years 2022 and 2023 which reflect the current strategy of the Company and include expenses and cash outflows estimations in relation to the development of discretionary research programs and pipeline of products candidates, the Company continues to project that its existing cash and cash equivalents will not be sufficient to fund its estimated operating and capital expenditures over at least the next 12 months from the date that the release is issued.
