PHILADELPHIA, PA — Cabaletta Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: CABA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and launching the first curative targeted cell therapies for patients with autoimmune diseases, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) to CABA-201, a 4-1BB-containing fully human CD19-CAR T cell investigational therapy, for the treatment of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM, or myositis). CABA-201 is in development as a potential treatment for autoimmune diseases driven by B cells. Four RESET™ (REstoring SElf-Tolerance) Phase 1/2 trials are advancing for the evaluation of CABA-201 across multiple autoimmune conditions, including the Phase 1/2 RESET-Myositis™ trial.
“Myositis, believed to be driven by B cells, is a severe and potentially fatal autoimmune disease for which no curative therapy exists. Current treatment options provide modest efficacy, with a significant portion of diagnosed patients having an inadequate response to treatment, thus, there is a clear need for innovative medicines that can meaningfully change the treatment paradigm,” said David J. Chang, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Cabaletta. “CABA-201 is designed to deeply and transiently deplete CD19-positive B cells, which may enable an immune system reset, and has the potential to deliver durable remission off therapy in patients diagnosed with myositis and other autoimmune diseases where B cells play a role. Orphan Drug Designation is an important recognition for investigational therapies for rare diseases and provides us with potentially valuable benefits as we seek to make a difference in the lives of patients and develop the first targeted, and potentially curative, cell therapy for patients with autoimmune diseases.”
The FDA grants Orphan Drug Designation to drugs or biologics intended to treat or prevent rare diseases or conditions that affect fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States. This designation qualifies Cabaletta for certain incentives, which may include partial tax credit for clinical trial expenditures, waived user fees and potential eligibility for seven years of marketing exclusivity.
About the RESET-Myositis™ Trial
The RESET-Myositis™ trial is a Phase 1/2 open-label study of CABA-201 in subjects with active idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM, or myositis), including the subtypes of dermatomyositis (DM), anti-synthetase syndrome (ASyS) and immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM). Subjects will receive a one-time infusion of CABA-201 at a dose of 1 x 106 cells/kg, preceded by a standard preconditioning regimen of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide. Key inclusion criteria include patients between ages 18 to 65 (inclusive), evidence of active disease and disease activity despite prior or current treatment with standard of care treatments. Key exclusion criteria include cancer-associated myositis, significant lung or cardiac impairment, treatment with a B cell depleting agent within the prior approximately six months or treatment with a biologic agent within the prior approximately three months. As part of Cabaletta’s CARTA (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells for Autoimmunity) strategy, this trial is intended to evaluate the potential ability of CABA-201 to transiently, but fully, eliminate B cells, potentially enabling durable remissions via a “reset” of the immune system.
About CABA-201
CABA-201 is designed to deeply and transiently deplete CD19-positive B cells following a one-time infusion, which may enable an “immune system reset” with the potential for durable remission off therapy in patients with autoimmune diseases. To date, Cabaletta has received clearance from the FDA for Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for CABA-201 in multiple autoimmune conditions including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), myositis, systemic sclerosis (SSc) and generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG). Cabaletta is conducting four Phase 1/2 clinical trials with a total of nine cohorts that can advance simultaneously, employing a similar parallel cohort design and starting dose of 1 x 106 cells/kg without a dose escalation requirement.
About Myositis
Myositis refers to a group of autoimmune diseases characterized by inflammation and muscle weakness. In some cases, myositis may also affect other organs and systems in the body, such as the lungs, heart, or skin. Myositis is classified into several subtypes based on the underlying immune mechanisms and clinical characteristics. Although the pathogenesis of myositis is not well understood, there are several subtypes thought to be driven by B cells, including dermatomyositis (DM), anti-synthetase syndrome (ASyS) and immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM). These three subtypes impact approximately 66,000 patients in the US alone, and typically affect middle-aged individuals, particularly women. All three subtypes can lead to severe functional impairment and may be life-threatening. Current treatment typically involves medications to suppress the immune system and/or chronic intensive therapies such as intravenous immunoglobulin, or IVIg. Despite these therapies, a significant portion of myositis patients have disease that remains refractory to existing medications.
About Cabaletta Bio
Cabaletta Bio (Nasdaq: CABA) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of engineered T cell therapies that have the potential to provide a deep and durable, perhaps curative, treatment for patients with autoimmune diseases. The CABA™ platform encompasses two strategies: the CARTA (chimeric antigen receptor T cells for autoimmunity) strategy, with CABA-201, a 4-1BB-containing fully human CD19-CAR T, as the lead product candidate being evaluated in the RESET™ (REstoring SElf-Tolerance) clinical trials in systemic lupus erythematosus, myositis, systemic sclerosis and generalized myasthenia gravis, and the CAART (chimeric autoantibody receptor T cells) strategy, with multiple clinical-stage candidates, including DSG3-CAART for mucosal pemphigus vulgaris and MuSK-CAART for MuSK myasthenia gravis. The expanding CABA™ platform is designed to develop potentially curative therapies that offer deep and durable responses for patients with a broad range of autoimmune diseases.
Contacts
Anup Marda
Chief Financial Officer
[email protected]
William Gramig
Stern Investor Relations, Inc.
[email protected]