Chimeric Advances CHM CDH17 to 150 Million Cells with 12% Tumor Shrinkage
Chimeric Therapeutics has progressed its CHM CDH17 CAR-T cell therapy to dose level 2 in its Phase 1/2 trial, showing promising early anti-tumor activity and a strong safety profile in gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine cancers.
- CHM CDH17 advanced to 150 million CAR-T cells dose level 2
- Early anti-tumor activity observed with 12% tumor shrinkage at dose level 2
- No new safety concerns or off-target effects reported
- Dose level 1 patient shows durable stable disease with 18% tumor shrinkage at 8 months
- Phase 1/2 trial targets gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine tumors
Chimeric Therapeutics Hits Dose Level 2 Milestone
Australian biotech Chimeric Therapeutics (ASX, CHM) has announced a significant advancement in its clinical development of CHM CDH17, a novel CAR-T cell therapy targeting gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine tumors. The therapy has now progressed to dose level 2, delivering 150 million CAR-T cells to patients, following a clean safety profile at the initial 50 million cell dose.
This progression marks an important step in the Phase 1/2 trial designed to evaluate safety and efficacy in patients with advanced colorectal, gastric, and intestinal neuroendocrine cancers. The absence of off-target effects or gastrointestinal toxicity at dose level 1 has cleared the way for further patient dosing at the higher level, underscoring the therapy’s tolerability.
Encouraging Early Signs of Anti-Tumor Activity
Meanwhile, a patient from the initial dose cohort remains in stable disease eight months post-treatment, with an 18% tumor shrinkage observed without any additional therapies. This durability signal provides a hopeful indication of the therapy’s sustained impact over time.
A Platform with Broad Potential
CHM CDH17 is a third-generation CAR-T therapy developed in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, targeting CDH17, a biomarker linked to poor prognosis and metastasis in common gastrointestinal cancers. Preclinical studies published in Nature Cancer demonstrated complete tumor eradication in multiple cancer types in animal models, setting high expectations for clinical outcomes.
Chimeric Therapeutics is also advancing other cell therapy candidates, including CHM CLTX for glioblastoma and CHM CORE-NK, an NK cell platform showing promise in both blood cancers and solid tumors. Together, these programs position the company as a leader in innovative cell therapies across multiple oncology indications.
CEO Dr. Rebecca McQualter expressed optimism about the progress, highlighting the active engagement of CAR-T cells at the higher dose and the anticipation of further data to validate these early signals.
Bottom Line?
As CHM CDH17 moves deeper into clinical testing, investors will watch closely for sustained efficacy and broader safety data that could redefine treatment for tough solid tumors.
Questions in the middle?
- Will subsequent patients at dose level 2 replicate the early anti-tumor responses?
- How durable will the tumor shrinkage be beyond the eight-month mark?
- What are the plans and timelines for Phase 2 expansion cohorts?
