Neuromuscular experts with the University of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine will launch a Phase 1/2 clinical trial (NCT04146051) using the CAR-T drug, Descartes-08, to treat patients with generalized myasthenia gravis.
Generalized myasthenia gravis (GMG) is a rare disease and a chronic autoimmune condition in which auto-antibodies attack specific proteins at the neuro-muscular junction. This disrupts the way that nerves can communicate with muscles, resulting in muscle weakness and fatigue.
Descartes-08, an investigational therapy by Cartesian Therapeutics, is a CD8+ CAR-T product that targets cells expressing B-cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA), a protein expressed by all plasma cells. It is the first known CAR-T therapy to enter clinical development for autoimmune diseases, according to the company.
