MiNK Therapeutics Awarded Prestigious NIAID Grant to Advance Allo-iNKT Cell Therapy for Prevention of GvHD in Stem Cell Transplant Patients

Core Insights - MiNK Therapeutics has received a non-dilutive grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to support the development of its allogeneic invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell therapy platform for preventing and treating graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) in high-risk hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) settings [1][2] Company Overview - MiNK Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing allogeneic iNKT cell therapies and precision-targeted immune technologies [4] - The company's lead asset, AGENT-797, is an off-the-shelf iNKT cell therapy currently in clinical development for GvHD, solid tumors, and critical pulmonary immune collapse [4] - MiNK is advancing a pipeline of T cell receptor (TCR)-based therapies and neoantigen discovery tools aimed at enabling tumor- and tissue-specific immune activation [4] Research and Development - The collaboration with the University of Wisconsin aims to leverage expertise in transplant immunology to enhance the efficacy of iNKT cells in managing GvHD while preserving the patient's ability to fight infections [3] - iNKT cells are recognized for their potential to regulate immune responses, promote tissue repair, and suppress inflammatory pathways, making them suitable for addressing GvHD complications [2][3] Market Need - Nearly 50% of patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplants are at risk for GvHD, highlighting a significant unmet medical need in this area [2]