Top 27 CAR-T startups

These startups develop CAR T-cell therapy - a form of immunotherapy that uses specially altered T cells — a part of the immune system — to fight cancer.
1
Country: USA | Funding: $1.3B
Fate Therapeutics develops clinical drug candidates for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer using its propriety iPSCs platform (induced pluripotent stem cells). These cell therapies are selectively engineered and provide novel synthetic mechanisms for regulating cellular function. The company utilizes iPSC master cell lines to generate immune system cells, including NK cells, T cells and CD34+ cells and is developing a portfolio of ready-to-use cellular immunotherapy products for the treatment of solid tumors (particularly lung, pancreatic and ovarian cancer). FT819, its first iPSC-derived CAR T-cell product candidate, demonstrates potent, dose-dependent B-cell killing comparable to that of autologous primary CAR T cells in in-vitro cytotoxicity assay using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in SLE.
2
Country: UK | Funding: $1.1B
Autolus utilises advanced cell programming CAR-T and manufacturing technologies and we have established a development-stage pipeline of products for the treatment of haematological malignancies and solid tumours.
3
Country: USA | Funding: $1B
Allogene Therapeutics is a biotechnology company catalyzing cancer treatment through the development of CAR T therapy.
4
Country: USA | Funding: $543M
Lyell Immunopharma is developing a CAR-T cell therapy for colorectal cancer. The therapy targets tumors expressing the guanylate cyclase-C (GCC) protein receptor. GCC is expressed in more than 95% of colorectal cancer cases and in most cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Lyell's genetic reprogramming technologies aim to slow T-cell depletion and generate more potent T-cells with enhanced, sustained anti-tumor activity in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
5
Country: USA | Funding: $460.5M
Poseida Therapeutics utilizes best-in-class genome engineering capabilities to develop targeted lifesaving therapeutics.
6
Country: France | Funding: $393.5M
Cellectis is a biopharmaceutical company that develops adoptive immunotherapies for cancer.
7
Country: USA | Funding: $369.5M
Humanigen is a biopharmaceutical company that uses its biologic capabilities and its proprietary platform technology to develop first-in-class human antibody therapeutics. It focuses on preventing the serious and potentially life-threatening side-effects associated with chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy.
8
Country: USA | Funding: $363M
Umoja Biopharma is a biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation immunotherapies intended to combat cancer.
9
Country: USA | Funding: $340M
Capstan Therapeutics is advancing cell engineering to develop CAR-T therapeutics for a broad range of diseases.
10
Country: USA | Funding: $337M
Ziopharm oncology is a biotechnology company that acquires, develops, and commercializes cancer therapies.
11
Country: Czech Republic | Funding: $316.9M
SOTIO Biotech is shaping the future of cancer immunotherapies by translating compelling science into patient benefit.
12
Country: USA | Funding: $310M
Cabaletta Bio has adapted clinically-validated and FDA-approved CAR T cell technology to target B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases.
13
Country: USA | Funding: $256M
Acepodia is a therapeutics company that employs flexible therapeutic design to treat cancer.
14
Country: UK | Funding: $240.5M
Quell Therapeutics is a cell therapy company
15
Country: USA | Funding: $216M
Dispatch Bio was formed around the concept of solving two obstacles in cancer care: developing a treatment that can differentiate cancer cells from healthy cells while also addressing resistance mechanisms.
16
Country: USA | Funding: $198M
Artiva Biotherapeutics is an oncology company focused on developing and commercializing allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell therapies.
17
Country: Germany | Funding: $197.4M
T-knife is a developer of T cell receptors intended for T cell therapy of cancer.
18
Country: China | Funding: $190M
JW is focused on revolutionizing medicine by re-engaging the body's immune system to treat cancer.
19
Country: USA | Funding: $172M
Wugen is developing off-the-shelf cellular therapies targeting solid tumors and hematologic malignancies
20
Country: USA | Funding: $168M
Modex Therapeutics's modular platforms unite the power of multiple biologics into single molecules to combat complex diseases. The current focus is on cancer and infectious disease, where multispecifics hold great promise to address the diverse antigens and immune evasion that are responsible for the vast majority of patient deaths.
Editor: Jason Kwon
Jason Kwon is a senior editor for MedicalStartups. He has previously covered the pharmaceutical and medical research industries for FDAnews and worked as a head of marketing for medical startup Sonic Therapeutics. Before that, he co-founded a startup consulting business for emerging entrepreneurial hubs in Asia. Jason graduated from St. Bonaventure University’s journalism school. In his free time, Jason enjoys yoga, watching movie trailers, traveling to places where he can't get cell service. You can contact Jason at jaskwon(at)medicalstartups(dot)com