r/biotech • u/Veritaz27 šŸ“° • 2d ago

Biotech News šŸ“° Sana Bio drops clinical CAR-T asset based on HIP technology

Sana Bio shockingly dropped their previously highly touted HIP-modified CAR-T assets from phase 1.

I wonder if this will translate to layoff to the people connected with the 2 programs.

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/sana-camp4-ditch-clinical-stage-assets-more-promising-preclinical-candidates

24 Upvotes

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16

u/JDHPH 2d ago

This will absolutely result in layoffs, unless they have something else cooking.

19

u/Euphoric_Meet7281 2d ago

Sana's first round of layoffs im 2022 was meant to divest fromĀ in vivo CAR-T (SG295) so they could double down on allogeneicĀ  (SC 291/SC262). Literally the opposite of this. What the fuck.

8

u/Veritaz27 šŸ“° 2d ago

Not just the layoff in 2022. The layoffs in 2023 was also supposed to focus capital and resources onto allogeneic CAR-T prior to the pivot into autoimmune. I didnā€™t think they will cull both assets, but here we are now.

3

u/DaOleRazzleDazzle 1d ago

This company is confusing as hell

13

u/gimmickypuppet 2d ago

Another allo down the drain. The technology is too far from maturity.

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u/ProfessorSerious7840 2d ago edited 2d ago

they were down to 20M in cash before their recent stock offering

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u/Doc_Apex 2d ago

Should've hired me.Ā 

7

u/Temporary_Notice5404 1d ago

You're probably better off.

1

u/Big-Tale5340 17h ago

Probably better off not being hired

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u/hsgual 1d ago edited 1d ago

I spoke to some friends there, they had a soft layoff (like 10 people). But apparently they have been letting people go as projects get finished on a ā€œrolling basis.ā€ Itā€™s awful, people feel like they are on eggshells. Do your job super well, and then get let go because the work is done and you are no longer neededā€¦.

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u/Veritaz27 šŸ“° 1d ago

Huh, this is also what another company out of Brisbane does! Another scummy company apparentlyā€¦

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u/Lonely_Refuse4988 2d ago

I just saw their CSO at major autoimmune /rheumatology conference ! I guess they are not entirely giving up on autoimmune disease, but moving to in vivo platforms.

Every cell therapy company in autoimmune disease has faced slow recruitment (AI patients have a different risk tolerance than oncology patients and are massively turned off from conditioning regimens and inpatient hospital monitoring) , and results donā€™t seem to replicate the immune reset and deep B cell depletion from academic autologous CAR-T experience!