CARISMA Therapeutics develops differentiated, proprietary engineered‑macrophage cell therapies, including autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)‑macrophages for solid tumors. Its lead candidate, CT‑0508, is an anti‑HER2 CAR‑macrophage that has initiated Phase I clinical trial enrollment and patient screening. The company’s platform was developed in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania and is being advanced across additional discovery programs. CARISMA intends to expand its pipeline in cancer indications and explore applications of the engineered‑macrophage platform to disease areas outside oncology. The company completed a second closing of a $59 million Series B financing to fund these development and discovery activities. CARISMA is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. Carisma Therapeutics develops macrophage-based adoptive cellular immunotherapies using a proprietary CAR‑Macrophage platform that combines antigen recognition with macrophage effector functions. The platform is designed to both directly kill targeted cells and leverage antigen-presenting cell biology to stimulate adaptive immune responses. Initial therapeutic applications are focused on solid tumors, with other potential uses including disruption of protein aggregates across disease states. The company plans to use its recent financing to expand the technology platform and advance programs toward clinical development, anticipating initiation of clinical studies in 2019. Leadership includes founders Saar Gill, MD, PhD and Michael Klichinsky, PharmD, with Steven Kelly serving as CEO; the team also lists senior scientific and operations leaders and an experienced scientific advisory board.

Total raised

$112M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

Mar 2021