Sana Biotechnology, Inc. develops engineered cells as medicines for patients, with programs that apply cell engineering, hypoimmune platform technology, and fusogen-based delivery. News about SANA commonly covers its type 1 diabetes cell-replacement work, including UP421 and SC451, and its in vivo CAR T program SG293 for CD19-directed therapy in B-cell cancers and B-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases.
Company updates also include preclinical and clinical data presentations, research collaborations, manufacturing and regulatory preparation, financial results, equity financing activity, executive appointments, and investor conference presentations.
Sana Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ: SANA) will webcast its presentation at the 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on January 11, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. PT. The presentation, led by President and CEO Steve Harr, will provide a business overview and update. Interested investors can access the webcast on Sana's Investor Relations webpage, where a replay will be available for 30 days post-conference. Sana focuses on developing engineered cell therapies to treat diseases, aiming to repair genes and replace damaged cells.
Sana Biotechnology (NASDAQ: SANA) presented advancements at the 63rd ASH Annual Meeting. Notable highlights include data on hypoimmune CAR T cells that evade immune response in murine models and the use of fusosome technology for T cell delivery. Key presentations showed the effectiveness of hypoimmune CAR T cells against leukemia, and the capability of fusosomes to transduce T helper cells into CAR T cells. The company aims to file INDs for clinical trials in the upcoming year, signaling progression in their CAR T cell programs.
Generate Biomedicines has raised $370 million in a Series B financing to enhance its machine learning-powered Generative Biology platform, aimed at drug development across various protein modalities. This funding will facilitate technology evolution, organizational scaling from 80 to 500 employees, and the establishment of new facilities for computational biology and data generation. The company plans to advance several preclinical programs by year-end 2023, showcasing its pioneering efforts in programmable biotherapeutics.
Sana Biotechnology reported a net loss of $83.3 million for Q3 2021, translating to $0.46 per share, significantly higher than the $51.5 million loss ($3.76 per share) in Q3 2020. The company secured a cash position of $866.1 million, bolstered by $626.4 million from its IPO earlier in the year. Research and development expenses rose to $53.2 million, driven by increased personnel and operational costs. A notable development includes a license agreement with Beam for CRISPR technology, aimed at enhancing Sana's engineered cell therapy pipeline.
Sana Biotechnology (NASDAQ: SANA) announced plans to present data during four poster presentations at the 63rd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, taking place from December 11 to December 14, 2021. This event will highlight advancements in Sana's engineered cell therapies, specifically focusing on in vivo CAR T and ex vivo allogeneic CAR T cell programs. CEO Steve Harr expressed excitement over these scientific developments, emphasizing the company’s goal to file its first IND application as early as next year. The abstracts are available online, with full presentations scheduled throughout the event.
Tessera Therapeutics has announced a collaboration with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to utilize its Gene Writing technology for developing treatments for cystic fibrosis. This innovative technology aims to correct genetic mutations causing the disease, which affects around 70,000 people worldwide. The partnership seeks to advance Gene Writers capable of making specific genetic corrections and introducing a functional CFTR gene, targeting a major mutation responsible for 70% of cases. This collaboration may pave the way for groundbreaking therapies in cystic fibrosis treatment.
Sana Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ: SANA) announced a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Beam Therapeutics (NASDAQ: BEAM) for the use of Beam's CRISPR Cas12b nuclease system in Sana's ex vivo engineered cell therapy programs. This agreement allows Sana to utilize the Cas12b system in developing allogeneic T cell and stem cell-derived therapies, with a focus on gene editing for its hypoimmune platform. Sana will make an upfront payment of $50 million to Beam, along with potential milestone and royalty payments based on sales of resulting products.
Sana Biotechnology (NASDAQ: SANA) will present at the Morgan Stanley 19th Annual Global Healthcare Conference on September 13, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. PT. The presentation, hosted by CEO Steve Harr, will offer insights into the company's business and updates on its innovative approaches in engineered cell therapies. Interested parties can access the live webcast on Sana's Investor Relations page, with a replay available for 30 days post-conference. Sana aims to revolutionize medicine through gene repair and cell replacement, employing a dynamic team of over 320 professionals across Seattle, Cambridge, and South San Francisco.
MaxCyte has signed a clinical and commercial license agreement with Sana Biotechnology, granting Sana the rights to use MaxCyte's Flow Electroporation® technology and ExPERT™ platform. In return, MaxCyte will receive licensing fees and milestone payments. Doug Doerfler, MaxCyte's CEO, expressed enthusiasm for supporting Sana's cell therapy programs, highlighting the potential of Sana's hypoimmune cell platform. This collaboration aims to enhance the development of innovative cell-based treatments, reinforcing MaxCyte's position in the biopharmaceutical sector.
Sana Biotechnology reported its Q2 2021 results, highlighting a cash position of $930.8 million, significantly up from $412.0 million in Q4 2020. The company presented data showing immune evasion in transplanted hypoimmune cells in primates without immunosuppression, advancing its engineered cell therapies. A long-term lease was signed for a 163,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Fremont, California, to support clinical and commercial products. The net income for Q2 was $18.7 million, representing $0.10 per share, while the net loss for the first half was $161.9 million, or $1.08 per share.