Melbourne biotechnology company Cartherics will use London Life Sciences Week to seek international partners, collaborators, and investors as its lead ovarian cancer therapy moves toward its first human trial.
Chief executive Dr Ian Nisbet will attend the event, which runs from 15 to 20 November. Cartherics is developing ready-made immune cell therapies for serious women's diseases, including ovarian cancer and endometriosis, and expects to start a first human trial of its lead candidate CTH-401 in ovarian cancer in early 2027, subject to regulatory clearance.
Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest cancers affecting women. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, and only around one in three survive beyond five years.
CTH-401 is a CAR-NK cell therapy derived from stem cells and engineered to target TAG-72, a protein found on most ovarian cancers. Rather than being custom-made for each patient, the therapy is produced in advance from a single master cell bank, so it can be manufactured at scale and supplied ready to use.
The company's platform uses induced pluripotent stem cells generated from donated cord blood. These cells can be turned into NK cells, T cells and other immune cells. The stem cells are genetically engineered at specific safe harbour sites in the genome to improve how the resulting immune cells work. Along with its CAR directed against TAG-72, CTH-401 has two immunosuppression-linked genes deleted.
Cartherics has invested in its own clinical manufacturing facility in Melbourne, which gives it direct control over producing CTH-401 for clinical trials. Manufacturing is one of the most common causes of delay in cell therapy development. The company says having its own facility lowers program risk, ensures a consistent, high-quality supply as CTH-401 approaches the clinic, and supports efficient development of later products.
In London, Dr Nisbet will seek partnerships to advance CTH-401 and develop the wider stem cell platform. Cartherics plans to use that platform to develop further ready-made cell therapies for solid tumours and endometriosis. Its pipeline includes CAR immune cell products aimed at ovarian cancer, triple-negative breast cancer and other solid tumours, as well as NK cell products for severe endometriosis.
"London Life Sciences Week is becoming a major event in the biotechnology investment and partnering calendar and Cartherics is pleased to have the opportunity to participate," Dr Nisbet said. "We look forward to renewing old acquaintances and making new connections."