Replay And MD Anderson Launches Syena To Lead TCR-NK Cell Therapy

Biotech startup Replay is joining forces with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to launch Syena, an oncology company that will develop T-cell receptor (TCR) natural killer (NK) cell therapies.

The new venture will build on the technology from MD Anderson and Replay, combining the safety, potency, and scalability of NK cells with the ability of TCRs to target tumor antigens in cancer cells. Syena’s TCR-NK platform is based on the research of Dr. Katy Rezvani, M.D., PhD, Professor of Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy at MD Anderson. 

“This first-in-class TCR-NK technology provides an opportunity for Replay to disrupt the existing cell therapy paradigm and positions Syena to become a leader in this space,” said Adrian Woolfson, Executive Chairman, President, and Co-Founder of Replay. 

“While clinical successes in hematological malignancies have demonstrated the transformative potential of engineered cell therapies, these successes have not yet been realized in solid tumors. NK cells offer distinct advantages over T-cells and building on Dr. Rezvani’s research to arm them with TCRs has the potential to significantly impact oncology cell therapy.”

Related article: Will Breakthrough Therapy Lead the Way? An Overview of the Approved Gene and Cell Therapies for 2022

The Potential of TCR-NK Cell Therapies

Using its TCR-NK cell platform licensed from MD Anderson, Syena will first target a selection of cancer neoantigens. The company’s pipeline will include a program for NY-ESO-1 in hematological malignancies and solid tumors, which is expected to begin clinical trials in the second quarter of 2023. 

Unlike CAR-based therapies, which recognize surface proteins, TCR therapies are designed to recognize proteins that are found inside the cell; a TCR allows NK cells to recognize externalized protein fragments presented by the cell’s surface immune proteins. 

Dr. Rezvani was the first investigator to conduct a clinical trial with cord blood-derived CAR-NK cells and has helped advance 11 cell therapies, such as Affimed’s AFM13, into the clinic with the support of MD Anderson. 

“Dr. Rezvani has generated compelling clinical data with CAR-NK cell therapies, and her expertise with engineered NK cells will prove invaluable in guiding our scientific efforts,” said Lachlan MacKinnon, CEO and Co-Founder of Replay. 

Syena will receive licenses to various Replay cell and genome engineering platform technologies. 

Replay itself is a nascent biotech company, having launched last July in a $55 million seed funding round led by investment firms KKR and OMX Ventures. The San Diego, California-based company has made its mission to expand the scope of genomic medicine by writing and delivering big DNA.  

Author

Joy Lin

Without knowledge, there is no imagination. Without imagination, knowledge is meaningless