Alaunos Therapeutics Inc
NASDAQ:TCRT
Alaunos Therapeutics Inc
Alaunos Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company, which engages in the development, acquisition, and commercialization of immuno-oncology platforms that leverage cell- and gene-based therapies to treat patients with cancer. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas and currently employs 41 full-time employees. The company went IPO on 2004-08-20. The firm is focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing immuno-oncology platforms. The firm is engaged in developing technologies that utilize the immune system by employing innovative cell engineering to deliver cell therapies for the treatment of multiple cancer types. The company is focused on developing T-cell receptor (TCR), T cell therapies to target neoantigens in solid tumors (TCR-T). The firm's platform Sleeping Beauty is based on the non-viral genetic engineering of immune cells using a transposon/transposase system that engineers T cells outside of the body for subsequent infusion. The company targets tumor-related mutations in oncogenic genes, including KRAS, TP53 and EGFR, which are prevalent in gastrointestinal, lung, and gynecological cancers. Its pipeline in cell therapy for oncology consists of Library TCR-T cell therapy and mbIL-15 TCR-T cell therapy.
Clinical Progress: Alaunos reported accelerated enrollment and operational progress in its TCR-T library Phase 1/2 trial, with expectations to treat 9–12 patients in 2023 and a key interim data readout planned for Q3.
Cash Position: The company ended Q1 2023 with $37.4 million in cash, released $13.9 million in previously restricted cash, and expects to have sufficient resources to fund operations into Q4 2023.
Debt-Free Status: Alaunos fully prepaid its $11 million loan with Silicon Valley Bank, removing all debt obligations and associated interest expenses.
Cost Management: R&D expenses grew 17% due to increased manufacturing activity, while G&A expenses decreased 10% year-over-year, reflecting a focus on capital discipline.
Precigen Agreement: Amended the Precigen license, eliminating over $160 million in potential royalty and milestone payments and unencumbering TCR-T assets.
Manufacturing Enhancements: Process improvements, including cryopreservation, doubled throughput and streamlined enrollment and treatment schedules.
Hunter Platform Expansion: The proprietary Hunter TCR discovery platform continues to expand, aiming for 15 TCRs in the clinical library in 2023 and supporting future partnering opportunities.
