IASO Bio and Cabaletta Bio Announce Global Exclusive License Agreement for Clinically Validated CD19 Sequence

Nanjing and Shanghai, China; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and San Jose, California, USAOctober 11, 2022PR Newswire -- IASO Bio, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative cell therapies, and Cabaletta Bio (NASDAQ: CABA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing the first targeted cell therapies for patients with autoimmune diseases, jointly announced today,IASO Bio GrantsCabaletta Bio has obtained the global exclusive rights for the development, production, and commercialization of its clinically validated fully human CD19 sequence, to be applied in Cabaletta’s development of modified T-cell products for autoimmune diseases.IASO Bio will be eligible to receive upfront payments totaling approximately $162 million for up to two products, as well as potential development and commercialization milestone payments and sales royalties. IASO Bio holds the priority right to develop and commercialize Cabaletta products using the licensed sequences in Greater China.

CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has been clinically proven to deeply and durably deplete B cells, thereby demonstrating significant efficacy in the treatment of B-cell malignancies. This transformative therapy provides strong support for the treatment prospects of patients with B-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. Existing therapies for autoimmune diseases have two main limitations: limited efficacy leading to drug resistance and uncontrolled disease, or high morbidity and mortality associated with treatment.

"Through the collaboration with IASO Bio, Cabaletta can utilize the CD19 sequence in our newly developed CD19-targeting CAR-T candidate product, CABA-201. Products containing this CD19 sequence have already entered clinical evaluation, with safety and efficacy data supporting clinical development for patients with autoimmune diseases."Steven Nichtberger, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder of Cabaletta Bio, stated,"We are pleased to make further progress in the development of CABA-201, which will advance our efforts to develop therapies aimed at providing deep, durable, and potentially curative benefits for patients with autoimmune diseases."

IASO Bio CEO Dr. Wang Wen stated"We are delighted to collaborate with Cabaletta. The safety and efficacy potential of this CD19 sequence, developed from our fully human antibody library, has been validated in the IIT clinical trial of our self-developed fully human CD19/CD22 dual-targeting chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy CT120, which has so far yielded positive clinical data. CT120 has received two IND approvals in China for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), as well as FDA orphan drug designation (ODD) for ALL. The company retains global development rights for CT120 and is advancing the therapy’s development in China. We are thrilled to partner with Cabaletta to help maximize the value of the CD19 sequence, benefiting more patients with autoimmune diseases."