Biopharmaceutical company CytoMed Therapeutics on Tuesday announced a research collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to develop new treatment options for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and breast cancer patients using gamma-delta T cells (gdTc).

The study will evaluate the use of CytoMed's allogeneic gdTc on various subtypes of AML and breast cancer in vitro and in vivo. The research is expected to use patient-derived AML cells and breast cancer cell lines for investigation. The results of the study will be part of an Investigational New Drug Application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the allogeneic use of gdTc for blood and solid cancers.

CytoMed's lead allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) product candidate, CTM-N2D, received approval in January 2023 from Singapore's Health Science Authority to conduct a first-in-human Phase I clinical trial for the use of several blood and solid tumor cancers, including colorectal, lung, liver, ovarian, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. The trial will be conducted at the National University Hospital, Singapore.

AML is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults, and there are few treatment options available. Similarly, the incidence rate of breast cancer globally is high, and patients may quickly run out of treatment options, especially if they suffer from triple-negative breast cancer. This collaboration aims to develop new treatment modalities for unmet needs of AML and breast cancer patients at an affordable cost.

Dr Tan Wee Kiat, COO at CytoMed, said that interest in the potential of the company's allogeneic immunotherapy platform to provide additional treatment options has been strong, and international collaborations like the current one with MD Anderson Cancer Center are a key part of the company's strategy to maximize impact.

CytoMed is focused on developing novel cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of human cancers. The company was spun off from Singapore's national research and development agency in the public sector, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), in 2018.