Cell therapies are redefining what is possible in the treatment of disease - but their power demands precision. We've developed a novel safety switch that enhances control without compromising therapeutic impact, and are looking for partners to accelerate its development in a preclinical setting.
CAR T-cell therapies are changing the outlook for people with blood cancers, especially for those who have not responded to conventional treatments. While the effectiveness, applicability and safety of these continues to improve, there remains risk of serious side effects such as cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity, which requires careful monitoring and management
International regulators recommend ongoing follow up to understand how these engineered cells behave over time. However, how different clinical centres monitor CAR T-cells varies significantly. Some use different timepoints, others use different detection methods. This inconsistency makes it difficult to track the therapy in a clear and reliable way.
BRAKE20, our patent pending, built-in safety switch allows clinicians to track and control engineered T-cells throughout treatment. It offers a reliable way to turn the therapy off if needed, making cell therapies safer and more accessible for patients in the future.
How our safety switch works
Reliable detection
We have engineered a modified form of the human CD20 protein into the CAR T-cells. This version of CD20 cannot send signals inside the T-cell, so it remains inactive. However, it can still be easily detected on the cell surface using standard clinical flow cytometry tests that are already familiar to hospitals and laboratories.
Safe elimination
If a patient develops a serious side effect, clinicians can administer a widely used anti-CD20 antibody such as Rituximab or Ocrelizumab to rapidly terminate the CAR T cells in the body.
No unwanted activation
Because our CD20 variant does not signal inside the cell, binding of the antibody can not trigger further T-cell activation. This prevents the risk of side effects during treatment.
What makes our approach different
Many existing safety switches rely on non-human or synthetic proteins. These can be recognised as foreign by the immune system, which means the engineered cells may be rejected by the body. Other switches use a modified epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) which cannot easily be tracked and may cause allergic reactions.
Our approach uses a human protein that is already well understood with established clinical antibodies readily avaliable. Anti-CD20 therapies are used every day in clinical practice and laboratories already have the tools to detect CD20 positive cells. This means our system is grounded in familiar, proven biology. It is designed to minimise risk while improving control and confidence.
An innovation that enables safer and more consistent cell therapy
BRAKE20 has the potential to bring greater consistency to long-term patient monitoring around the world. It offers a tool to improving patient safety and strengthens the foundation for expanding CAR T-cell therapy to more cancers in the future. It can even open the door for new applications in solid tumours and autoimmune conditions where additional safety tools are essential.
Looking ahead
We are advancing this technology through preclinical studies and preparing for integration into our future clinical CAR T-cell programmes. We are looking for partners with assets in preclinical stage or earlier to continue developing BRAKE20.
Contact us
If you are interested in exploring the possibilities of collaborating with us, please contact co-inventor and commercial project manager Dr Patricia Rubio-Reyes to learn more.