Cartesian Therapeutics (NASDAQ:RNAC) announced updated efficacy and safety data from its Phase 2b trial of Descartes-08 in myasthenia gravis (MG), showing deep, durable responses without the need for chemotherapy.
The company highlighted ongoing improvements, noting that patients treated with Decartes-08 experienced a 5.5 reduction in MG activities of daily living scores by month four. Cartesian confirmed it is on track to launch a Phase 3 AURORA trial in early 2025.
“Current standards of care are associated with broad immunosuppression and limited efficacy, and patients with MG, which is a rare and incurable autoimmune disorder, are in dire need of new treatment options,” said James F. Howard Jr., M.D., professor of neurology, medicine, and allied health at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and investigator in the Phase 2b trial.
“These updated results continue to show deep responses durable for months after cessation of treatment in both heavily pre-treated participants and, notably, participants without prior exposure to biologic drugs, underscoring the potential for Descartes-08 to emerge as a meaningful addition to available MG treatments,” Dr. Howard added.
In a statement, Carsten Brunn, Ph.D., president and CEO of Cartesian, said, “Data reported today add to the growing body of evidence supporting the potential for Descartes-08 to provide deep and durable improvements for participants with MG in the convenient outpatient setting and without the need for preconditioning chemotherapy. Importantly, we believe these updated results align well with the endpoints of our planned Phase 3 trial, strengthening our confidence in the design of the next phase of Descartes-08’s development. We look forward to commencing the trial during the first half of next year as we continue to work toward our mission to deliver this much-needed therapy to patients with MG.”
