Celyad Oncology is at the forefront of biotechnology, focusing on the development of innovative chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies. The company employs a proprietary short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-based platform that allows for the manipulation of protein expression without traditional gene editing. This technology utilizes RNA interference to silence specific genes, enabling the creation of CAR T-cells with desired features. Notably, Celyad has demonstrated the effectiveness of this platform through clinical evaluations of its CAR T-cell candidates, such as CYAD-211 and CYAD-02, which target specific proteins to enhance cell persistence and prevent adverse effects like graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and cell fratricide.

Furthermore, Celyad's shRNA platform is designed for multiplexing, allowing for the simultaneous downregulation of multiple target genes within a single cell. This capability is crucial for overcoming challenges posed by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and enhancing the efficacy of CAR T-cell therapies. The company has developed an all-in-one vector approach that simplifies the generation of CAR T-cells by encoding multiple components, including shRNAs and therapeutic add-ons, in a single construct. This versatile platform not only optimizes CAR T-cell features but also has the potential for broader applications in various cell therapies beyond immuno-oncology.

United States

Celyad Oncology is a cutting-edge biotechnology company dedicated to pioneering the discovery and advancement of revolutionary technologies for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells. Its primary objective is to unlock the potential of its proprietary technology platforms and intellectual property, enabling to be at the forefront of developing next-generation CAR T-cell therapies. By fully leveraging its innovative technology platforms, Celyad Oncology aims to maximize the transformative impact of its candidate CAR T-cell therapies and redefine the future of CAR T-cell treatments. Celyad Oncology is based in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. For more information, please visit www.celyad.com.

Cancer

Hematologic Diseases

Celyad Oncology

Metastatic colorectal cancer

CYAD-101 is an investigational, non-gene edited, allogeneic (healthy &nbsp;donor derived) CAR T&nbsp;candidate engineered to co-express a chimeric &nbsp;antigen receptor based on NKG2D, a receptor expressed on natural killer &nbsp;(NK) cells that binds to eight stress-induced ligands and the novel &nbsp;inhibitory peptide TIM (TCR Inhibitory Molecule). The expression of TIM reduces signaling of the TCR complex, which is responsible for &nbsp;graft-versus host disease.
<a href="https://celyad.com/our-pipeline/">Source</a>
CAR T

CYAD-101 

Acute myeloid leukemia

Blood cancer

Myelodysplastic syndrome

CYAD-02 is an investigational CAR T therapy that engineers an all-in-one &nbsp;vector approach in patient’s T cells to express both (i) the NKG2D &nbsp;chimeric antigen receptor, a receptor expressed on natural killer (NK) &nbsp;cells that binds to eight stress-induced ligands (NKG2DL) expressed on &nbsp;tumor cells, and (ii) short hairpin RNA (shRNA) technology to knockdown &nbsp;the expression of NKG2D ligands MICA and MICB on the CAR T cells. In &nbsp;preclinical models, shRNA-mediated knockdown of MICA and MICB expression &nbsp;on NKG2D CAR T cells has shown enhanced in vitro expansion, as well as &nbsp;enhanced in vivo engraftment and persistence, of the CAR T cells, as &nbsp;compared to first-generation NKG2D-based CAR T cells.
<a href="https://celyad.com/our-pipeline/">Source</a>
CAR T

CYAD-02 (NKG2DL)

Multiple myeloma

CYAD-211 is a preclinical, short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-based allogeneic &nbsp;CAR T candidate for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple &nbsp;myeloma (r/r MM). CYAD-211 is engineered to co-express a B-cell &nbsp;maturation antigen (BCMA) chimeric antigen receptor and a single shRNA &nbsp;hairpin which interferes with the expression of the CD3ζ component of &nbsp;the TCR complex.
<a href="https://celyad.com/our-pipeline/">Source</a>
CAR T

CYAD-211 (BCMA) 

B-cell malignancies

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma

CYAD-221 is a preclinical, short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-based allogeneic &nbsp;CAR T candidate for the treatment of B-cell malignancies. CYAD-221 is &nbsp;engineered to co-express a CD19 chimeric antigen receptor and an shRNA &nbsp;hairpin which interferes with the expression of the CD3ζ component of &nbsp;the TCR complex.
<a href="https://celyad.com/our-pipeline/">Source</a>
CAR T

CYAD-221 (CD19)

Solid tumor/s

CYAD-103 is a preclinical, non-gene edited allogeneic CAR T candidate. &nbsp;Similar to CYAD-101, CYAD-103 is engineered to co-express the chimeric &nbsp;antigen receptor based on NKG2D, a receptor expressed on natural killer &nbsp;(NK) cells that binds to eight stress-induced ligands and the novel &nbsp;inhibitory peptide TIM (TCR Inhibitory Molecule). In addition to NKG2D &nbsp;and TIM, the company is exploring additional add-on components to the &nbsp;CAR T construct to improve clinical activity of the next-generation &nbsp;candidate for the treatment of solid tumors.
<a href="https://celyad.com/our-pipeline/">source</a>
CAR T

CYAD-103 (NKG2DL) 

CYAD-231 is a dual specific CAR T candidate targeting NKG2D and an undisclosed membrane protein
CAR T

CYAD-231 (NKG2DL)

CYAD-01,Autologous CAR T-cell candidate based on the fusion of the NKG2D receptor with CD3ζ. Co-stimulation is ensured by endogenous DAP10. Evaluated in the THINK (<a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03018405?term=celyad&amp;draw=3&amp;rank=5">NCT03018405</a>), LINK (<a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03370198?term=celyad&amp;draw=2&amp;rank=3">NCT03370198</a>), SHRINK (<a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03310008?term=celyad&amp;draw=2&amp;rank=4">NCT03310008</a>) and DEPLETHINK (<a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03466320?term=celyad&amp;draw=2&amp;rank=2">NCT03466320</a>)&nbsp; clinical studies, in patients with hematological malignancies [relapsed or refractory (r/r) acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), or multiple myeloma (MM)] and solid tumors [advanced colorectal cancer (CRC), pancreatic cancer or ovarian cancer].
CAR T

Celyad Oncology

Company Details