MiNK Therapeutics and University of Wisconsin–Madison Announce Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Allo-iNKT Cell Therapy (AgenT-797) to Evaluate Prevention of Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Core Insights - MiNK Therapeutics, Inc. is initiating a Phase 1 clinical trial for its lead therapy, agenT-797, aimed at patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) [1][2] Group 1: Clinical Trial Details - The trial will assess the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of agenT-797 in reducing graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), relapse, and other complications in high-risk leukemia and blood cancer patients [2] - The study is led by Dr. Hongtao Liu and co-investigator Dr. Kalyan V. G. Nadiminti from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health [2] Group 2: Funding and Support - The development of agenT-797 is supported by two public-private funding awards: an NIH STTR grant from NIAID and a philanthropic clinical grant, the Mary Gooze Clinical Trial Award [3] - The Mary Gooze Clinical Trial Award funds enrollment, immune monitoring, and operations for the Phase 1 trial, while also supporting mechanistic research on iNKT cells [5] Group 3: Therapeutic Potential - GvHD is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality post-HSCT, affecting up to 50% of recipients, and agenT-797 aims to address this issue without the cytotoxic burden of lymphodepleting conditioning regimens [4] - iNKT cells are positioned to suppress inflammatory responses while maintaining anti-leukemia activity, making them suitable for this therapeutic approach [4] Group 4: Company Overview - MiNK Therapeutics specializes in allogeneic invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell therapies and aims to develop next-generation immune reconstitution therapies [7][8] - AgenT-797 is designed to be an off-the-shelf, donor-derived therapy that does not require HLA matching or lymphodepletion, enhancing its accessibility for patients [9]