Carina receives major funding boost to take its CAR-T research to the next stage

This week, our CEO Dr Justin Coombs was in Melbourne for the formal presentation to Carina Biotech of close to $1 million from MTPConnect, the Medical Technology, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical (MTP) Industry Growth Centre. Carina was thrilled to be selected for the $10 million BioMedTech Horizons program investment.

This fantastic program aims to help Australia move more cutting-edge ideas and breakthrough discoveries towards proof-of-concept and commercialisation. Our project, ‘CAR-T immunotherapies for solid cancers’, was one of 11 standouts among a highly competitive field.

Some of our readers will know that Carina Biotech is working to develop and validate T cell immunotherapy related technologies, in particular ‘universal’ CAR-T cells that can be used for the treatment of a broad range of cancers. To date, CAR-T immunotherapies have predominantly seen success only in treating blood cancers. Carina aims to translate the amazing potential of this technology to solid cancers, which represent the bulk of cancer diagnoses worldwide.

Carina’s first lead technology is a new CAR-T cell that has been shown to kill a diverse range of solid cancers in the lab. This investment will allow Carina to move forward with the second stage of testing.

“This will enable us to advance our CAR-T cells through multiple animal models of human solid cancers, and pave the way for human clinical trials of the CAR-T cell,” says Justin.

We are very excited, and honoured, to have received this funding award in the first round of investments from MTPConnect’s BioMedTech Horizons program, which is being delivered as part of the Australian Government’s $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund.

Watch this space!