Caribou Biosciences to Present Preclinical Data on CB-011, an Immune-Cloaked Allogeneic Anti-BCMA CAR-T Cell Therapy, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting

BERKELEY, Calif., March 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Caribou Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRBU), a leading clinical-stage CRISPR genome-editing biopharmaceutical company, today announced that preclinical data from CB-011, its allogeneic anti-BCMA CAR-T cell therapy for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (r/r MM), will be presented as a poster at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2022, held April 8-13, 2022 in New Orleans.

CB-011 is the first allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy immune-cloaked to prevent both T- and NK-mediated immune cell rejection. This allogeneic anti-BCMA CAR-T cell therapy is engineered using Cas12a chRDNA technology to insert a BCMA-specific CAR into the TRAC gene and armor the cells with an immune cloaking strategy that includes a knockout of the endogenous B2M gene and site-specific insertion of a B2M–HLA-E fusion transgene into the B2M gene. Caribou is conducting Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies to support a planned IND application submission in 2022 for CB-011 in r/r MM.

Details of the poster presentation are as follows:

Title: A BCMA-specific allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy (CB-011) genome-engineered to express an HLA-E fusion transgene to prevent immune cell rejection
Presenter: Émilie Degagné, Ph.D., Senior Scientist I
Date and Time: Sunday, April 10, 2022, 1:30 – 5:00 pm CT
Location: New Orleans Convention Center
Presentations and posters will be available for registered attendees for on-demand viewing on the AACR website on April 8, 2022 after 1:00 pm ET.

About Caribou’s Novel Next-Generation CRISPR Platform
CRISPR genome editing uses easily designed, modular biological tools to make DNA changes in living cells. There are two basic components of Type II and Type V CRISPR systems: the nuclease protein that cuts DNA and the RNA molecule(s) that guide the nuclease to generate a site-specific, double-stranded break, leading to an edit at the targeted genomic site. CRISPR systems occasionally edit unintended genomic sites, known as off-target editing, which may lead to harmful effects on cellular function and phenotype. In response to this challenge, Caribou has developed chRDNAs (pronounced “chardonnays”), RNA-DNA hybrid guides that direct substantially more precise genome editing compared to all-RNA guides. Caribou is deploying the power of its Cas12a chRDNA technology to carry out high efficiency multiple edits, including multiplex gene insertions, to develop CRISPR-edited therapies.

About Caribou Biosciences, Inc.
Caribou Biosciences is a clinical-stage CRISPR genome-editing biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing transformative therapies for patients with devastating diseases. The company’s genome-editing platform, including its proprietary Cas12a chRDNA technology, enables superior precision to develop cell therapies that are specifically engineered for enhanced persistence. Caribou is advancing a pipeline of off-the-shelf CAR-T and CAR-NK cell therapies for the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.
Follow us @CaribouBio and visit www.cariboubio.com.
“Caribou Biosciences” and the Caribou logo are registered trademarks of Caribou Biosciences, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements related to Caribou’s strategy, plans and objectives, and expectations regarding its clinical and preclinical development programs, including its timing expectations regarding the foregoing including future IND application submissions. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made. However, such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the risks inherent in drug development such as those associated with the initiation, cost, timing, progress and results of current and future research and development programs, preclinical studies, and clinical trials, as well as other risk factors described from time to time in Caribou’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its final prospectus filed on July 23, 2021. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Except as required by law, Caribou undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

Caribou Biosciences, Inc. Contacts:

Amy Figueroa, CFA

Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

afigueroa@cariboubio.com

Investors:

Elizabeth Wolffe, Ph.D., and Sylvia Wheeler

Wheelhouse LSA

lwolffe@wheelhouselsa.com

swheeler@wheelhouselsa.com

Media:

Greg Kelley

Ogilvy

gregory.kelley@ogilvy.com

617-461-4023