Yimiao Shenzhou Selected for 2023 National Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation's 'Challenge Program' with Breakthrough CAR-T Therapy IM96
Imunopharm
Developer of Gene and Cell Therapy Technologies
On December 8, 2023, the list of proposed projects for the 2023 National Biomedicine Innovation Center's Cell Therapy "Challenge Leader" technology initiative was announced. Beijing Yimiao Shenzhou Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. ("Yimiao Shenzhou") project, "Research and Development of Innovative Cell Therapy Drug IM96 CAR-T for Advanced Gastrointestinal Tumors," successfully made it as a technical research project due to its outstanding innovation, breakthrough progress, and potential, after undergoing rigorous procedures including organization application, expert review, and deliberation by the competent authority.
The "Challenge Leader" technical breakthrough in cell therapy is organized and published by the National Biopharmaceutical Innovation Center (hereinafter referred to as "National Innovation Center"). It aims to connect the entire industrial chain and innovation chain of cell therapy, conduct forward-looking and innovative research on cell therapy technology, and promote major technical breakthroughs that are urgently needed by the entire cell therapy industry chain, restricted by patented technologies, and clearly oriented towards clinical applications. This effort lays a solid foundation for meeting clinical needs with cell therapy.
IM96 CAR-T is an innovative next-generation CAR-T cell therapy independently developed by Beijing Yimiaoshenzhou Medical Technology Co., Ltd. for the treatment of advanced gastrointestinal tumors. The drug features a novel CAR molecular design and a globally leading production process, addressing major technical challenges in the industry such as the difficulty of CAR-T cells infiltrating into the interior of solid tumors and expanding within patients’ bodies. This represents a significant breakthrough in the application of CAR-T therapy for advanced gastrointestinal tumor treatment.
In early clinical studies, IM96 CAR-T demonstrated good tolerability along with encouraging safety and efficacy. It was proven to effectively kill target-positive gastrointestinal tumor cells, significantly benefiting patients in clinical treatment, and shows great clinical potential and application prospects. The clinical research data of this drug was successfully presented as an oral report at the 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting held in Madrid, Spain, on October 23, 2023, drawing widespread attention from the international academic and industrial communities.
// About Yimiao Shenzhou //
Yimiao Shenzhou, established in 2015 and headquartered in Beijing, is a leading clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with the mission of "making cancer no longer an incurable disease." The company focuses on applying innovative gene and cell drug technologies to treat major diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders. To date, Yimiao Shenzhou has completed nine rounds of strategic financing and owns a one-stop, proprietary R&D and industrialization platform for gene and cell drugs. It possesses multiple core technologies, won the top prize at the National Disruptive Technology Innovation Competition, obtained four clinical trial approvals for Class I new drugs, and was granted Beijing’s first Manufacturing License for gene and cell drugs. Its R&D pipeline covers hematologic cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma, as well as solid tumors including liver, colorectal, gastric, and pancreatic cancers, making it a leader in the gene and cell drug industry.
The company has undertaken more than 10 national and provincial-level scientific research projects, including the Special Project of the National Key R&D Program by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the "Challenge Grant" technical project for cell therapy by the National Innovation Center, and the Beijing Municipal Major Science and Technology Special Project. It is a National High-tech Enterprise, a Beijing-based specialized and innovative enterprise, a Frontier Technology Enterprise in Zhongguancun, a Zhongguancun High-tech Enterprise, and a Postdoctoral Research Workstation. The team has been honored with awards such as Beijing Science and Technology Nova, Zhongguancun High-end Leading Talent, Beijing Haiying Talent, Xinguomen Leading Talent, the Gold Award (First Place) at Tsinghua University’s President's Cup Innovation Challenge, MIT Technology Review's 35 Innovators Under 35, and Fortune Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Business Elites.
