CABA 8-K
Cabaletta Bio, Inc. (CABA)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 3, 2021
CABALETTA BIO, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
| Delaware | 001-39103 | 82-1685768 | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
| 2929 Arch Street, Suite 600, Philadelphia, PA |
19104 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
(267) 759-3100
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| ☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of Each Class |
Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered | ||
| Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share | CABA | The Nasdaq Global Select Market |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
| Item 2.02 | Results of Operations and Financial Condition. |
On May 3, 2021, Cabaletta Bio, Inc. (the “Company”) announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021. A copy of the press release is being furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Report on Form 8-K.
| Item 7.01 | Regulation FD Disclosure. |
On May 3, 2021, the Company posted to the “Investors & Media” section of its website at www.cabalettabio.com an updated corporate presentation providing a corporate overview and updated development plan (the “Corporate Presentation”). A copy of the Corporate Presentation is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2 and is incorporated by reference into this Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K.
| Item 8.01 | Other Events. |
On May 3, 2021, the Company issued a press release announcing acute safety data from the first dose cohort of its ongoing DesCAARTes™ Phase 1 clinical trial of DSG3-CAART for the treatment of patients with mucosal-dominant pemphigus vulgaris. A copy of the full text of the press release referenced above is filed as Exhibit 99.3 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference into this Item 8.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K.
The information contained in Items 2.02 and 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is being furnished and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section and shall not be incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
| CABALETTA BIO, INC. | ||||||
| Date: May 3, 2021 | By: | /s/ Steven Nichtberger | ||||
| Steven Nichtberger, M.D. | ||||||
| President and Chief Executive Officer | ||||||
Exhibit 99.1
Cabaletta Bio Reports First Quarter 2021 Financial Results and Provides New Pipeline Updates
– Acute safety data from the first cohort in the DesCAARTes™ trial announced today; no dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) or clinically relevant adverse events observed in the first dose cohort as of April 30, 2021 –
– PLA2R-CAART announced as a new development program for patients with PLA2R-associated membranous nephropathy; pre-IND meeting with FDA planned in the second half of 2021 –
– MuSK-CAART Investigational New Drug (IND) application submission planned for the second half of 2021 –
PHILADELPHIA, May 3, 2021 — Cabaletta Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: CABA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of engineered T cell therapies for patients with B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, and provided new pipeline updates.
“The initial safety data from the first low dose cohort of three patients in the DesCAARTes™ clinical trial for DSG3-CAART, our lead clinical candidate, support the acute safety profile of DSG3-CAART at the administered dose in mucosal-dominant pemphigus vulgaris patients, and are an encouraging indicator for the safety of the CAAR T platform overall. We look forward to reporting additional topline data on safety and potential target engagement on completed dose cohorts throughout the second half of 2021,” said Steven Nichtberger, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Cabaletta. “On the heels of this important milestone, which we believe begins to de-risk our CABA™ platform, we are pleased to announce a new development program, PLA2R-CAART, for the treatment of patients with PLA2R-associated membranous nephropathy with a pre-IND meeting planned for the second half of 2021. In addition, we look forward to submitting our second IND application for MuSK-CAART, our lead preclinical candidate, in the second half of 2021.”
Acute Safety Data from First Dose Cohort of DesCAARTes™ Trial
Today, the Company reported results from the first cohort of three patients dosed with DSG3-CAART. There were no clinically relevant adverse events, including cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity, during the 8-day acute safety window, which the Company expects is the period with highest probability of observing treatment-related toxicities. In addition, no dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed in the first two subjects who have completed the 28-day DLT monitoring period post-infusion. The third patient has completed the 8-day acute safety window, and is in the DLT follow-up period. These safety data were observed with an administered dose of 20 million DSG3-CAART cells, without preconditioning and in the presence of circulating anti-DSG3 antibodies; DSG3-CAART was detected at low levels via quantitative polymerase chain reaction in both patients who have completed the 28-day DLT period and been evaluated. The third patient is scheduled to be evaluated for presence of DSG3-CAART after completion of the 28-day DLT monitoring period.
The DesCAARTes™ trial is currently enrolling patients in the second cohort at a treatment dose of 100 million DSG3-CAART cells. Infusions are planned to initiate following the third patient in the first cohort completing the 28-day monitoring period without any DLTs. Cabaletta expects to announce acute safety data for the second and third cohorts in the third and fourth quarters of 2021, respectively. Topline data on target engagement from the first cohort are anticipated during the second half of 2021. Cabaletta will continue to provide additional topline safety and target engagement data from the DesCAARTes™ trial once available on a cohort-by-cohort basis.
Other Pipeline Highlights
MuSK-CAART: Muscle Specific Kinase (MuSK) chimeric autoantibody receptor T (MuSK-CAART) cells as potential treatment for patients with MuSK-associated myasthenia gravis.
| • | IND-enabling studies consistent with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance received during the Pre-IND meeting are ongoing and the Company plans to submit an IND to the FDA in the second half of 2021, which will incorporate clinical trial design insights from the DesCAARTes™ trial with DSG3-CAART. |
PLA2R-CAART: Phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) chimeric autoantibody receptor T (PLA2R-CAART) cells as a potential treatment for patients with PLA2R-associated membranous nephropathy.
| • | Cabaletta plans to advance PLA2R-CAART discovery candidates for the treatment of patients with PLA2R-associated membranous nephropathy. |
| • | Given the role of autoantibodies and proteinuria in risk stratification for patients with membranous nephropathy and as biomarkers disease progression and resolution, Cabaletta believes it can advance a product candidate to address the existing unmet need. |
| • | The Company plans to request a Pre-IND submission meeting with the FDA during the second half of 2021 to gain clarity on the future development path and potential IND submission timing for the program. |
Upcoming Events
| • | Cabaletta will participate in a fireside chat at the virtual Jefferies Healthcare Conference from June 1-4, 2021. |
First Quarter 2021 Financial Results
The Company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and investments as of March 31, 2021, along with proceeds from sales under the Company’s at-the-market offering program in April 2021, will enable it to fund its operating plan through at least the fourth quarter of 2022.
| • | Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were $6.6 million, compared to $4.6 million for the same period in 2020. |
| • | General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2021 were $3.2 million, compared to $3.3 million for the same period in 2020. |
| • | As of March 31, 2021, cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $102.0 million, compared to $108.7 million as of December 31, 2020. |
About Cabaletta Bio
Cabaletta Bio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of engineered T cell therapies, and exploring their potential to provide a deep and durable, perhaps curative, treatment, for patients with B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. The Cabaletta Approach to selective B cell Ablation (CABA™) platform, in combination with Cabaletta’s proprietary technology, utilizes Chimeric AutoAntibody Receptor (CAAR) T cells that are designed to selectively bind and eliminate only specific autoantibody-producing B cells while sparing normal antibody-producing B cells, which are essential for human health. The Company’s lead product candidate, DSG3-CAART, is being evaluated in the DesCAARTesTM phase 1 clinical trial as a potential treatment for patients with mucosal pemphigus vulgaris, a prototypical B cell-mediated autoimmune disease. The FDA granted Fast Track Designation for DSG3-CAART in May 2020. For more information about the DesCAARTes™ Phase 1 clinical trial, please see www.clinicaltrials.gov. The Company’s lead preclinical product candidate, MuSK-CAART, is in IND-enabling studies and is designed as a potential treatment for patients with MuSK-associated myasthenia gravis. For more information, visit www.cabalettabio.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” of Cabaletta within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including without limitation, express or implied statements regarding expectations regarding the progress and results of its DesCAARTes™ Phase 1 trial, including Cabaletta’s ability to enroll the requisite number of patients, progress of the trial, results and expected timing to report additional acute safety data for the second and third cohorts in the third and fourth quarters of 2021, respectively, and topline data on any completed dosing cohorts in the second half of 2021; the expectation that Cabaletta may improve outcomes for patients suffering from mPV; the effectiveness and timing of product candidates that Cabaletta may develop, including in collaboration with academic partners; the safety, efficacy and tolerability of DSG3-CAART for the treatment of mPV; MuSK-CAART program, including the completion and expected results of its ongoing IND-enabling studies and plans to submit an IND application or equivalent regulatory filing for MuSK-CAART in the second half of 2021; presentation of additional data at upcoming scientific conferences, and other preclinical data; expectations regarding the design, implementation, timing and success of its current and planned clinical trials and the successful completion of nonclinical studies; planned potential timing and advancement of its preclinical studies and clinical trials and related regulatory submissions; ability and the potential to successfully maintain or secure the necessary cell processing capacity and supply for its product candidates for clinical trials, including Cabaletta’s planned development and timing of next generation T cell engineering tools and process advancement; ability to replicate results achieved in preclinical studies or clinical trials in any future studies or trials; ability to continue its growth and realize the anticipated contribution of the members of its board of directors and executives to its operations and progress; expectations of the potential impact of COVID-19 on strategy, future operations, and the timing of its clinical trials, including the potential impacts on enrollment and initiation of
its DesCAARTes™ Phase 1 trial; statements regarding regulatory filings regarding its development programs; use of capital, expenses, future accumulated deficit and other financial results in the future; and ability to fund operations through the fourth quarter of 2022.
Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs of future events, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: risks related to the impact of COVID-19 affecting countries or regions in which we have operations or do business, including potential negative impacts on our employees, customers, supply chain and production as well as global economies and financial markets; risks related to Cabaletta’s ability to protect and maintain its intellectual property position; Cabaletta’s ability to demonstrate sufficient evidence of safety, efficacy and tolerability in its clinical trials of DSG3-CAART; risks related to clinical trial site activation or enrollment rates that are lower than expected; risks related to unexpected safety or efficacy data observed during clinical studies; risks related to Cabaletta’s ability to protect and maintain its intellectual property position; uncertainties related to the initiation and conduct of studies and other development requirements for its product candidates; and the risk that the results of preclinical studies or clinical studies will not be predictive of future results in connection with future studies. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause Cabaletta’s actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Cabaletta’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Cabaletta’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Cabaletta undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
CABALETTA BIO, INC.
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
(unaudited; in thousands, except share and per share data)
Statements of Operations
| Three Months Ended March 31, |
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| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Unaudited | ||||||||
| Operating expenses: |
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| Research and development |
$ | 6,556 | $ | 4,620 | ||||
| General and administrative |
3,156 | 3,275 | ||||||
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| Total operating expenses |
9,712 | 7,895 | ||||||
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| Loss from operations |
(9,712 | ) | (7,895 | ) | ||||
| Other income: |
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| Interest income |
10 | 410 | ||||||
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| Net loss |
(9,702 | ) | (7,485 | ) | ||||
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| Net loss per share of voting and non-voting common stock, basic and diluted |
$ | (0.41 | ) | $ | (0.33 | ) | ||
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Selected Balance Sheet Data
| March 31, 2021 |
December 31, 2020 |
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| (unaudited) | ||||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents and investments |
$ | 102,028 | $ | 108,662 | ||||
| Total assets |
107,283 | 114,724 | ||||||
| Total liabilities |
3,969 | 5,180 | ||||||
| Total stockholders’ equity |
103,314 | 109,544 | ||||||
Contacts:
Anup Marda
Chief Financial Officer
Sarah McCabe
Stern Investor Relations, Inc.
212-362-1200
Corporate Presentation may 2021 Exhibit 99.2
Disclaimer The following presentation, including any printed or electronic copy of these slides, the talks given by the presenters, the information communicated during any delivery of the presentation and any question and answer session and any document or material distributed at or in connection with the presentation (collectively, the “Presentation”) has been prepared by Cabaletta Bio, Inc. (“we,” “us,” “our,” “Cabaletta” or the “Company”) and is made for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. This Presentation does not purport to be a prospectus, to be complete or to contain all of the information you may desire. Statements contained herein are made as of the date of this Presentation unless stated otherwise, and neither this Presentation, nor any sale of securities, shall under any circumstances create an implication that the information contained herein is correct as of any time after such date or that information will be updated or revised to reflect information that subsequently becomes available or changes occurring after the date hereof. This Presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” relating to our business, operations, and financial conditions, including, but not limited to, current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, our development plans, our preclinical and clinical results and other future conditions. Words such as, but not limited to, “look forward to,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “would,” “should” and “could,” and similar expressions or words, identify forward-looking statements. Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the success, cost, and timing of our product candidate development activities and preclinical studies and clinical trials, our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval for our product candidates, our ability to commercialize our product candidates, future agreements with third parties in connection with the development or commercialization of our product candidates, the size and growth potential of the market for our product candidates, our ability to contract with third-party suppliers and manufacturers and our ability to develop internal manufacturing capabilities and facilities, the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements, and needs for additional financing, and our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our product candidates. Various risks, uncertainties and assumptions could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in our forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties caused by adverse economic conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of extraordinary events or circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and any business interruptions to our operations or to those of our clinical sites, manufacturers, suppliers, or other vendors resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic or similar public health crisis. New risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. No representations or warranties (expressed or implied) are made about the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our 2020 annual report on Form 10-K, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information contained in this Presentation relates to or is based on studies, publications, surveys and other data obtained from third-party sources and the Company’s own internal estimates and research. While the Company believes these third-party sources to be reliable as of the date of this Presentation, it has not independently verified, and makes no representation as to the adequacy, fairness, accuracy or completeness of, any information obtained from third-party sources. The Company is the owner of various trademarks, trade names and service marks. Certain other trademarks, trade names and service marks appearing in this Presentation are the property of third parties. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this Presentation are referred to without the ® and TM symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto.
Develop and launch the first curative targeted cellular therapies for patients with autoimmune diseases
Cabaletta overview Developing highly specific CAAR T products to treat B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases Where there is a biologic opportunity for deep and durable, perhaps curative, responses Leveraging a clinically validated CAR T product design and manufacturing process through Penn alliance Preclinical pipeline led by MuSK-CAART for myasthenia gravis - IND filing planned in 2H21 PLA2R-CAART pre-IND meeting with FDA anticipated in 2H21 – ~75% of 1⁰ membranous nephropathy patients have PLA2R antibodies Product portfolio2 currently targeting diseases that affect over 80,000 patients in the US Issued U.S. patent on lead clinical program with emerging differentiated IP portfolio First issued CAAR T product patent covers all or any part of the relevant human antigens (DSG3 and DSG1) Phase 1 DesCAARTesTM trial ongoing for patients with mucosal pemphigus vulgaris (mPV) No DLTs or any clinically relevant toxicities observed in the 1st 8 days following infusion for all 3 patients in the 1st cohort DSG3-CAART cells were detected at low levels via qPCR in both patients evaluated to date 20M cell dose without lymphodepletion and in the presence of circulating anti-DSG3 antibodies within patients Target engagement data from cohort 1, and acute safety data from the 1st 3 cohorts anticipated this year1 Cash runway through at least 4Q22 with $102M in cash and investments as of March 31, 2021 Assumes no dose-limiting toxicities are observed during cohort and uninterrupted enrollment occurs in the trial. Includes five disclosed product candidates and two undisclosed pipeline disease targets in our pipeline through expansion of our Sponsored Research Agreement with the University of Pennsylvania.
Our scientific platform leverages clinically validated CAR T technology CAR T Therapy Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell Kymriah CAAR T product candidates are designed for selective and specific elimination of the pathogenic B cells CAAR T Therapy Chimeric AutoAntibody Receptor T cell CABA CAAR T AUTOANTIGEN (e.g. DSG3, MuSK…) CD137 (4-1BB) Costimulatory Domain CD3-Zeta Signaling Domain HEALTHY B CELL
Foundational CAR T technology clinically validated in treating B cell-mediated cancers Cabaletta: Advancing targeted cell therapy to autoimmunity Marketed Pivotal Clinical Preclinical / Discovery DSG3-CAART (mPV) MuSK-CAART (MG) FVIII-CAART (Hem A w/ Inhibitor) DSG3/1-CAART (mcPV) Oncology B Cell-Mediated Allo/Autoimmune Diseases CAR-T / CAAR-T T-reg, NK, TCR, RBC, macrophage, TIL PLA2R-CAART (MN)
Biologic opportunity for cure or treatment may be possible in dozens of B-cell mediated autoimmune diseases* CABA platform may apply across a range of autoimmune diseases Pemphigus Vulgaris1,2,3 Pemphigus Foliaceus1,2,3 Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita3 Bullous Pemphigoid1,2,3 Lupus Nephritis3,4 Membranous Nephropathy1,2,3 Goodpasture’s Syndrome1,2,3,4 Myasthenia Gravis1,2,3,5 Neuromyelitis Optica3 Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy1.2 Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis3 Lambert-Eaton Syndrome5 Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura3 Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura1,2,3 Antiphospholipid Syndrome4,5 Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia3 Rheumatoid Arthritis2,3,4 Systemic lupus erythematosus3,4,5 ANCA-Associated Vasculitis3,4,5 Myositis5 Type 1 Diabetes3 Graves’ Disease3,5 Hashimoto’s Disease5 * Illustrative list of diseases where biologic opportunity for cure or treatment may be possible. Koneczny, Inga. "Update on IgG4-mediated autoimmune diseases: new insights and new family members." Autoimmunity Reviews (2020): 102646. Huijbers, Maartje G., et al. "IgG4-mediated autoimmune diseases: a niche of antibody-mediated disorders." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1413.1 (2018): 92. Ludwig, Ralf J., et al. "Mechanisms of autoantibody-induced pathology." Frontiers in immunology 8 (2017): 603. Suurmond, Jolien, and Betty Diamond. "Autoantibodies in systemic autoimmune diseases: specificity and pathogenicity." The Journal of clinical investigation 125.6 (2015): 2194-2202. Xiao, Ze Xiu, Joseph S. Miller, and Song Guo Zheng. "An updated advance of autoantibodies in autoimmune diseases." Autoimmunity Reviews (2020): 102743. Dermatology Nephrology Neurology Hematology Rheumatology Endocrinology
Technology foundation designed to enable a portfolio of programs targeting B cell-mediated diseases Modular platform with “plug-and-play” architecture Clinically validated engineered T cell platform is the foundational technology PLA2R-CAART PLA2R+ membranous nephropathy DSG3-CAART Mucosal pemphigus vulgaris MuSK-CAART MuSK+ myasthenia gravis DSG3/1-CAART Mucocutaneous pemphigus vulgaris Swapping the extracellular domain, or autoantigen, creates new product candidates FVIII-CAART Hemophilia A with FVIII inhibitors
Epitope mapping to determine regions targeted by autoantibodies Optimize CAAR construct / design with the goal of selectively ablating reactive B cells Preclinical in vitro and in vivo testing to evaluate efficacy and safety Scientific, clinical and commercial assessment to inform product candidate development Vector & Clinical Cell manufacturing Clinical trials CABA (Cabaletta Approach for Selective B cell Ablation) platform DSG3 CAART MuSK CAART PLA2R CAART FVIII CAART DSG3/1 CAART Current stage of pipeline programs
We believe the initial DesCAARTes™ data begins to de-risk the platform Data from the DesCAARTes™ trial provides read-through to pipeline Acute safety in patients with mPV Future Data: Target engagement Manufacturing success in clinical trial Strong relationship with Penn CVPF manufacturing organization Use of validated process from CAR T experience at Penn helps mitigate risk 100% success rate for DesCAARTes™ trial manufacturing to date in the first cohort No DLTs or any clinically relevant toxicities observed in initial cohort through 8 days DSG3-CAART was detected at low levels via qPCR in both patients evaluated to date 20M DSG3-CAART cell dose administered without lymphodepletion In patients with soluble circulating anti-DSG3 antibodies Next dosing cohort is at 100M DSG3-CAART cells Plan to initiate next cohort once patient 3 completes 28 day follow up absent DLTs Two cohorts higher than 100M cells are currently planned as well, if necessary We believe biologic activity is present if DSG3 Ab titers consistently reduced by >20% More robust anti-DSG3 titer decline expected with greater target engagement Many variables to modify and strategies to maximize target engagement
Therapeutic Area Indication Program Discovery2 Preclinical Phase 1 Phase 2/3 Dermatology Mucosal Pemphigus Vulgaris DSG3-CAART Mucocutaneous Pemphigus Vulgaris DSG3/1-CAART Neurology MuSK Myasthenia Gravis MuSK-CAART Nephrology PLA2R Membranous Nephropathy PLA2R-CAART Hematology Hemophilia A w/ FVIII Alloantibodies FVIII-CAART Pipeline1 includes multiple disease targets where cure is possible Two additional undisclosed disease targets added to our pipeline portfolio through expansion of our Sponsored Research Agreement with the University of Pennsylvania are not shown. In our discovery stage, we perform epitope mapping and optimize CAAR construct and design. Current pipeline includes 7 programs targeting diseases affecting >80,000 patients in the US
DSG3-CAART for patients with mucosal pemphigus vulgaris
DSG3 antibodies are widely considered to be necessary and sufficient to cause PV1 PV is an optimal lead indication for CAAR T therapy Spindler, Volker, et al. "Mechanisms causing loss of keratinocyte cohesion in pemphigus." Journal of Investigative Dermatology 138.1 (2018): 32-37. Schmidt, Enno, et al. "Novel ELISA systems for antibodies to desmoglein 1 and 3." Experimental dermatology 19.5 (2010): 458-463. Joly, Pascal, et al. "First-line rituximab combined with short-term prednisone versus prednisone alone for the treatment of pemphigus (Ritux 3): a prospective, multicentre, parallel-group, open-label randomised trial." The Lancet 389.10083 (2017): 2031-2040. Mouquet, Hugo, et al. "B-cell depletion immunotherapy in pemphigus: effects on cellular and humoral immune responses." Journal of Investigative Dermatology 128.12 (2008): 2859-2869. Hammers, Christoph M., et al. "Persistence of anti-desmoglein 3 IgG+ B-cell clones in pemphigus patients over years." Journal of Investigative Dermatology 135.3 (2015): 742-749. Ohyama, Bungo, et al. "Epitope spreading is rarely found in pemphigus vulgaris by large-scale longitudinal study using desmoglein 2–based swapped molecules." Journal of investigative dermatology 132.4 (2012): 1158-1168. Ellebrecht, Christoph T., et al. "Reengineering chimeric antigen receptor T cells for targeted therapy of autoimmune disease." Science 353.6295 (2016): 179-184. Serum anti-DSG3 antibodies are 98 - 100% sensitive and specific2 1 The DSG3 CAAR has published animal model proof-of-concept validation7 5 Depletion of B cells by rituximab3 or antibody by plasmapheresis transiently improves clinical disease 2 The B cell repertoire and antigenic epitopes on DSG1/3 are well understood6, and formed the basis for DSG3 and DSG1 CAAR designs 4 Incomplete B cell depletion by rituximab leads to PV recurrences, with identical disease-causing B cell clones4,5 3 anti- dsg anti- dsg
Current treatments require broad immunosuppression associated with safety risks and transient efficacy Overview of Pemphigus Vulgaris Image credit: D@nderm. Rituximab label, 08/2020 revision. Joly, Pascal, et al. "First-line rituximab combined with short-term prednisone versus prednisone alone for the treatment of pemphigus (Ritux 3): a prospective, multicentre, parallel-group, open-label randomised trial." The Lancet 389.10083 (2017): 2031-2040. Kushner, Carolyn J., et al. "Factors Associated With Complete Remission After Rituximab Therapy for Pemphigus." JAMA dermatology (2019). Tony, Hans-Peter, et al. "Safety and clinical outcomes of rituximab therapy in patients with different autoimmune diseases: experience from a national registry (GRAID)." Arthritis research & therapy 13.3 (2011): 1-14. Current Treatment Landscape Broad immunosuppression3,4 Modestly effective Poorly tolerated Rituximab plus steroids (~2,800mg/yr)2 Response: ~40% of patients achieved a 16-week period with no lesions or medicines during 1 yr2 5-9%2,3 annual risk of severe infection in PV Real world data indicate: Transient remission ~ 70% CROT4: ~30% relapse in 1 year4 >50% relapse within 2 years4 ~30% never achieve CROT4 ~1.9% lifetime risk of fatal infection5 CROT = 8+ weeks without lesions while off systemic therapy http://www.danderm-pdv.is.kkh.dk/atlas/3-157.html http://www.dermis.net/bilder/CD008/550px/img0042.jpg Mucosal PV1 25% of U.S. pemphigus vulgaris Mucocutaneous PV1 75% of U.S. pemphigus vulgaris Associated Antibody Anti-DSG3 Anti-DSG3 + Anti-DSG1 Clinical Signs Painful blisters of the mucous membranes (mouth, nose, larynx, esophagus, eyes, genitalia, rectum) Blisters on orifices and skin US Disease Prevalence 3,250 to 4,750 9,750 to 14,250
Inclusion of all disease-relevant epitopes enables a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach for patients with mPV DSG3-CAART is designed to bind all known pathogenic autoantibodies Ohyama, Bungo, et al. "Epitope spreading is rarely found in pemphigus vulgaris by large-scale longitudinal study using desmoglein 2–based swapped molecules." Journal of investigative dermatology 132.4 (2012): 1158-1168. Antibodies that target the specific extracellular domain are shown below each extracellular domain. EC5 directed antibodies are not known to be pathogenic DSG3-CAART Costimulatory Domains anti-EC4 P2C1, P5D4, P5B6, P3A6, P5E4 2 anti-EC3 AK18 2 anti-EC2 PVB28, AK19 2 anti-EC1 AK23, Px43, Px44, 6G2C11, F779 2 EC1 EC2 EC3 EC4 Transmembrane Domain Cytoplasmic tail % of PV sera targeting each domain1 91% 71% 51% 19% 12% EC5 EC1 EC2 EC3 EC4 CD137 CD3z DSG3 Protein
Tolerability Target Engagement No evidence of toxicity at clinically relevant doses with selective and specific target engagement DSG3-CAART preclinical data1,2 INDICATOR RESULTS In vitro off-target toxicity No specific cytotoxicity at clinically relevant cell numbers vs FcgR-expressing cells No confirmed interactions with human membrane proteins In vivo off-target toxicity No off-target effects detected at clinically relevant doses Anti-DSG3 autoantibody titer Serologic ‘remission’ – dose-dependent elimination of anti-DSG3 B cells and antibodies CAAR T cell engraftment Dose-dependent increase in CAAR-positive cells observed via flow cytometry Tissue blistering Histologic ‘remission’ – no blistering of oral mucosa Anti-DSG3 hybridoma outgrowth Significantly delayed outgrowth despite soluble anti-DSG antibodies Ellebrecht, Christoph T., et al. "Reengineering chimeric antigen receptor T cells for targeted therapy of autoimmune disease." Science 353.6295 (2016): 179-184. 2. Lee, Jinmin, et al. "Antigen-specific B-cell depletion for precision therapy of mucosal pemphigus vulgaris." The Journal of Clinical Investigation (2020).
Study Endpoint & Objectives Primary Endpoint: Adverse Events, including Dose Limiting Toxicity (DLT) DLTs include any grade 3 or 4 CRS or neurotoxicity, or any grade 2 CRS or neurotoxicity that failed to improve to ≤ Grade 1 or baseline within 7 days Secondary Objectives: DSG3 ELISA titer changes, rate of/time to/duration of remission, manufacturing success rate, CAAR T expansion/persistence DesCAARTes™: Phase 1 clinical trial in mucosal-dominant PV (mPV) patients FDA has requested, and the Company has agreed, that we will share data from part A to inform a discussion on the optimal design of part C. According to FDA advice, the submission of part A data is not gating to planned enrollment in part B. Open-label study to determine the maximum tolerated dose & fractionation of DSG3-CAART Part Cohort # Subjects A – Dose Escalation Fractionated infusion at increasing dose levels A1-A4 3 (+3) per cohort B – Dose Consolidation Consolidating selected dose fractions into a single infusion B1-B2 3 (+3) per cohort C – Expansion1 Expanded subject enrollment at final selected dose C ~12 Total ~30 (+18) Age: ≥18 Inadequately managed by standard immunosuppressive therapies Confirmed diagnosis Active disease Anti-DSG3 antibody positive Rituximab recently administered Prednisone > 0.25mg/kg/day Other autoimmune disorder requiring immunosuppressive therapies Recent investigational treatment ALC < 1,000 at screening Major Inclusion Criteria Major Exclusion Criteria SCREENING PERIOD FOLLOWED (2-4 WEEKS) TREATMENT PERIOD (1-3 WEEKS) Next Patient
Safety assessed acutely (Day 8) and at 3 months, with data on potential target engagement by 6 months DesCAARTes™ clinical trial assessments and timeframes * Clearance of 28-day observation window without DLTs required to initiate next dosing cohort. Spindler, Volker, et al. "Mechanisms causing loss of keratinocyte cohesion in pemphigus." Journal of Investigative Dermatology 138.1 (2018): 32-37. This information represents data that we believe can be used to inform potential efficacy endpoints in future clinical development. Dasyam, Nathaniel, Philip George, and Robert Weinkove. "Chimeric antigen receptor T‐cell therapies: Optimising the dose." British journal of clinical pharmacology 86.9 (2020): 1678-1689. Raje, Noopur, et al. "Anti-BCMA CAR T-cell therapy bb2121 in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma." New England Journal of Medicine 380.18 (2019): 1726-1737. Up to Wk -18 Wk -18 to -1 Day -7 to -3 Pre-infusion visit 3 Years Efficacy 15 Years Long-term follow-up 3 Months Primary safety endpoint Day 8 Acute safety data 8-10 weeks from screening to infusion DSG3-CAART INFUSION Day 8 acute safety data Monitors for key risks: CRS / neurotoxicity Impact of soluble antibody Other adverse events Target engagement to be assessed by declining anti-DSG3 titers1,2 We believe initial signal would be evidenced by a consistent ~20% or more reduction in anti-DSG3 titers within a patient. More robust decline expected with greater target engagement Translational program evaluating potential for in vivo expansion and threshold dose effect3,4 Other key potential efficacy measures2 Disease activity (clinical) Steroid / immunosuppressive use Primary safety endpoint at 3 months Potential for disease flare during planned steroid taper Day 28 DLT observation window* 6 Months Data on target engagement
Promising initial safety profile for all 3 patients dosed with DSG3-CAART in the 1st trial cohort No DLTs observed to date in 1st cohort of DesCAARTes™ trial Up to Wk -18 Wk -18 to -1 Day -7 to -3 Pre-infusion visit 5 Months 6 Months Data on target engagement Day 8 Acute safety data 8-10 weeks from screening to infusion DSG3-CAART INFUSION Day 28 DLT observation window No clinically meaningful adverse events in any subject to date 3 Months Primary safety endpoint Clearance of 28-day DLT observation window for Subject 3 will trigger progression to next cohort No evidence of DLTs to date, as far out as 5 months No evidence of clinically relevant AEs at 8 days COHORT A1: 3 patients received fractionated dose of 20M cells
100% success rate for manufacturing of DSG3-CAART cells in DesCAARTes™ trial to date Manufactured DSG3-CAART cells exhibit target elimination in vitro Manufacturing partnership with Penn is delivering necessary quality & capacity for the clinical trial requirements 2.5:1 1.25:1 0.625:1 0:1 (Target cells only) Samples run in triplicate 1 × 105 target cells per well Effector:Target Ratio DSG3-CAART cells successfully engage & eliminate DSG3 antibody expressing target cells in vitro
No DLTs or clinically relevant toxicities in 1st three patients to date At a 20 million cell dose, in the absence of lymphodepletion Circulating anti-DSG3 antibodies present in all patients at infusion Patients 1 and 2 have completed the 28-day DLT monitoring period DSG3-CAART was observed at low levels via qPCR in both patients Patient 3 has completed the acute safety period (1st 8-days post-infusion) Evaluation for DSG3-CAART has not yet occurred Initial clinical safety profile in 1st cohort informed by several factors Future topline target engagement data to be disclosed on a cohort-by-cohort basis Target engagement in the 1st cohort possible, but not expected Topline target engagement data on 1st cohort to be reported in 2H21
Dose of CAART cells 2 CAART cell expansion post-infusion 3 Circulating antibody titer 4 Range of strategies to consider for targeted cell therapy approaches in patients with autoimmune diseases Potential drivers of target engagement in autoimmune disease Target cell population 0.1-1% of B cells are DSG3+ Many options exist to enhance signals of target engagement 1 Phenotype of CAART cells 6 Healthy B cell Pathogenic autoreactive B cell CAART cell 5 Number of CAARs on each T cell surface
Expanding relationships with patient advocacy organizations Growing clinical site network with high investigator engagement Strong interest by study sites, with three sites actively enrolling and many more working to open Accelerating timelines for DesCAARTes™ trial Assumes no dose-limiting toxicities are observed during cohort and uninterrupted enrollment occurs in the trial. Expect to report in 4Q21 or 1Q22. Opportunities to accelerate development ORPHAN DRUG FAST TRACK Milestone 1Q 2021 2Q 2021 3Q 2021 4Q 2021 DSG3-CAART: Data from DesCAARTes™ Trial 1st cohort1 2nd cohort1 3rd cohort1 COMPLETED Acute Safety Target Engagement Accelerating development & learnings from DesCAARTes™ trial to inform MuSK-CAART & future programs 2
DSG3/1 CAARs designed for mcPV DSG3 and DSG1 autoantibodies Most severe and common form of PV (~75%) Mucosal blistering, plus skin erosion and blistering Managed with immune suppression, similar to mPV High risk of relapse Potential for hospitalizations and fatal infections Plan to potentially submit an IND after review of safety and target engagement data from DSG3-CAART DSG3/1 CAART for mucocutaneous PV (mcPV) Ohyama, Bungo, et al. "Epitope spreading is rarely found in pemphigus vulgaris by large-scale longitudinal study using desmoglein 2–based swapped molecules." Journal of investigative dermatology 132.4 (2012): 1158-1168. As presented at the 2018 International Investigative Dermatology conference. DSG1-CAART and DSG3-CAART both demonstrated specific cytotoxicity in vitro2 Together, DSG1-CAART and DSG3-CAART demonstrated cytotoxicity towards anti-DSG3 and anti-DSG1 B cells EC1 EC2 EC3 EC4 Transmembrane Domain Cytoplasmic tail % of PV sera targeting each domain1 98% 26% 9% 4% 7% EC5 EC1 EC2 EC3 EC4 CD137 CD3z DSG1 DSG1 CAAR
MuSK-CAART for patients with MuSK myasthenia gravis
6.0 - 7.5% All known extracellular domains can be included in the CAAR design High unmet need in MuSK myasthenia gravis; a valuable CAAR target Hain, Berit, et al. "Successful treatment of MuSK antibody–positive myasthenia gravis with rituximab." Muscle & Nerve: Official Journal of the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine 33.4 (2006): 575-580. Illa, Isabel, et al. "Sustained response to Rituximab in anti-AChR and anti-MuSK positive Myasthenia Gravis patients." Journal of neuroimmunology 201 (2008): 90-94. Jiang, Ruoyi, et al. "Single-cell repertoire tracing identifies rituximab-resistant B cells during myasthenia gravis relapses." JCI insight 5.14 (2020). AChR MG Early Onset Age <50 ; F>M AChR MG Late Onset Age >50 ; M>F MuSK MG Seronegative MG Low affinity AChR, LRP4 Total US MG Prevalence: 50,000 to 80,000 patients Typically more severe Limited treatment options Early onset – 7:1 females MuSK has similar modular structure and size as DSG3 lg1 lg2 lg3 Fz Autoantibody titers drop after rituximab1,2 Pathogenic B cells are incompletely eliminated by rituximab and persist during relapse3 1 Similarities to pemphigus support clinical potential of CAAR T in MuSK MG 2
Additional in vitro studies demonstrated no confirmed off-target toxicity observed with MuSK-CAART to date MuSK-CAART showed in vitro selective & specific target engagement1 https://cabalettabio.com/technology/posters-publications. NTD = non transduced T cell control against the same target cells Target cells are the pre B cell line, Nalm-6, genetically modified to express anti-MuSK antibodies specific for one of the MuSK domains, Ig1, Ig2, Ig3, or Fz MuSK-CAART Ig1 Ig2 Ig3 Fz MuSK-CAART observed to be specific for anti-MuSK antibody expressing cells in vitro No off-target toxicity observed in vitro ~6,000 human membrane proteins evaluated No on-target toxicity observed in vitro Cellular assays to evaluate cytotoxicity against native ligand LRP4 MuSK-CAART program on track for IND filing in 2H 2021 MuSK-CAART cytotoxicity3 Pro-inflammatory cytokine production3 2 2
MuSK-CAART eliminated anti-MuSK target cells2 in an animal model where CART19 cells were a positive control MuSK-CAART demonstrated specific in vivo target engagement1 https://cabalettabio.com/technology/posters-publications. Target cells represent a B cell tumor line (CD19 positive) that has been modified to express the anti-MuSK antibody. MuSK CAAR CART19 DSG3 EC1-3 Day 1 Day 3 Day 5 Day 7 Day 13 5.0e4 2.0e6 (Radiance) 3.0e5 2.0e6 . . . NTD Positive control Negative control Negative control CART19 MuSK-CAART DSG3 EC1-3 NTD
PLA2R-CAART for patients with PLA2R-associated membranous nephropathy
Primary MN is an immune-mediated kidney disease with anti-PLA2R antibodies in ~75% of patients Discovery-stage CAART program in membranous nephropathy PLA2R+ MN is attractive for CAAR development Single pass transmembrane protein with distinct immunogenic regions Epitopes are well-defined IgG4-dominant disease, similar to PV and MuSK MG Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a type of glomerular disease that causes nephrotic syndrome and may lead to kidney failure Accumulating evidence of a correlation between PLA2R antibodies and disease activity, remission and relapse in primary MN PLA2R autoantibody levels routinely used as diagnostic and prognostic markers Autoantibody titer shown to precede and rise rapidly before clinical manifestations Co-localization of antigen & PLA2R antibodies at site of damage in kidney 1 2 3 Multiple lead candidates containing the main immunogenic epitopes demonstrate specific target engagement and cytolytic activity; lead product candidate being confirmed
Opportunity to develop antigen-targeted therapy to address significant unmet need Changing treatment paradigm highlights the role of B cells in disease High unmet need despite B cell-depleting therapies Rituximab increasing 1st line for medium to high-risk pts 1/3 cure; 1/3 relapse; 1/3 fail1 Relapse of nephrotic syndrome occurs within 2-4 years Preceded by return of B cells & PLA2R autoantibodies Patients with higher anti-PLA2R levels at baseline and with epitope spreading less likely to respond to rituximab Up to 30% of diagnosed patients develop ESRD PLA2R antibody levels correlate with proteinuria, a commonly used surrogate endpoint Anti-PLA2R levels Proteinuria MENTOR trial results: Antibody levels & proteinuria by group in patients with complete or partial remission at month 24 Accelerated rituximab clearance secondary to renal damage in patients with MN thought to be a major driver of limited drug effect.
Potential addressable market for PLA2R-CAART Confidential Eligible population prevalence of ~4,000 to 8,000 patients & annual incidence of ~700 to 1,400 patients ~3,300 ~2,475 ~1,860 ~1,400 Rituximab-eligible 700 patients Relapsed/ refractory to rituximab ~20,000 ~15,000 ~11,000 ~8,000 Rituximab-eligible ~4,000 patients Relapsed/ refractory to rituximab Membranous nephropathy Primary MN (75%) PLA2R autoantibodies (70-80%) Medium to high risk (~75%) Rituximab outcomes Remission in 1-2 years in ~70% of patients ~33% of responders relapse within 2-4 years U.S. Prevalence U.S. Annual Incidence
Consistent progress on PLA2R-CAART program Epitope mapping to determine regions targeted by autoantibodies Optimize CAAR construct / design with the goal of selectively ablating reactive B cells Preclinical in vitro and in vivo testing to evaluate efficacy and safety Scientific, clinical and commercial assessment to inform product candidate development Vector & Clinical Cell manufacturing Clinical trials Rapid advancement through CABA development engine with near-term planned interactions with FDA PLA2R-CAART Pre-IND meeting with FDA planned in 2H 2021
Manufacturing
Three-stage approach allows for efficient allocation of capital while leveraging experienced partners Manufacturing strategy Penn-sponsored CD19 CAR IND CMC data has been cross-referenced in DSG3-CAART IND to provide additional data reflecting alignment. Stage 3: Cabaletta Facility Commercialization & Scale-Up Data-gated investment Stage 1: Penn DSG3-CAART Phase 11 Stage 2: CDMOs & CABA Process MuSK-CAART Phase 1 Cell processing capacity secured through Penn partnership SOPs previously used to develop an FDA approved product Clinical vector validated CDMOs for vector and cell processing with commercial support capabilities Build out Cabaletta-owned manufacturing facility 2021 – 2019 –
Utilizing a clinically validated CART19 cell manufacturing process mitigates risks Cross referenced Penn CART19 IND including CMC process1 Penn process, not Novartis process, avoiding Kymriah release challenges2 Engineering runs have demonstrated efficient manufacture of DSG3-CAART cells from PV patients3 Multiple runs contractually secured each month at Penn Subject to future COVID-19 impact DSG3 vector supply validated and secured Vector production and cell processing are key risks mitigated by strategy, partnership, process and people Parallel steps in manufacturing process1 for CAR T vs CAAR T Penn-sponsored CD19 CAR IND CMC data has been cross-referenced in DSG3-CAART IND to provide additional data. Manufacturing challenges were due to release specifications: https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/novartis-hits-car-t-manufacturing-snag-as-kymriah-sales-disappoint/528202/. T cells isolated from patients with a range of treatment regimens of low to high intensity were tested; the highest intensity regimen and patients with ALC<1000 cells/uL expanded less well and will be excluded from the trial design. Vector Production T Cell Activation Transduction CAAR T Expansion Concentration, Washing and Formulation Apheresis Collection of T cells
Corporate Summary
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD Leadership team Aimee Payne, M.D., Ph.D. Co-Founder and Co-Chair Michael C. Milone, M.D., Ph.D. Co-Founder and Co-Chair Jay Siegel, M.D. LEADERSHIP TEAM Steven Nichtberger, M.D. President, CEO & Chairman Anup Marda Chief Financial Officer Arun Das, M.D. Executive Director BD Gwendolyn Binder, Ph.D. EVP Science & Technology David J. Chang, M.D., M.P.H. Chief Medical Officer J. Brian Stalter, J.D. General Counsel Martha O’Connor Chief HR Officer Iain McInnes, PhD, FRCP, FRSE, FMedSci Carl June, M.D.
Updated 2021 anticipated milestones Milestone 1Q 2021 2Q 2021 3Q 2021 4Q 2021 DSG3-CAART: Data from DesCAARTes™ Trial 1st cohort1 2nd cohort1 3rd cohort1 MuSK-CAART Validate manufacturing process with CMO partner MuSK-CAART IND filing PLA2R-CAART Pre-IND meeting with FDA COMPLETED Acute Safety Target Engagement Assumes no dose-limiting toxicities are observed during cohort and uninterrupted enrollment occurs in the trial. Expect to report in 4Q21 or 1Q22. 2
Cabaletta Today Leveraging a clinically validated CAR T platform as a novel approach to treating autoimmune diseases aiming to provide: Deep and durable responses, potentially cures, for autoimmune patients Highly specific, targeted therapy designed to eliminate only pathogenic B cells Target engagement based on strength of biological rationale, deep understanding of translational data and many ways to deliver on the promise for patients Multiple potential near-term clinical data catalysts with potential for pipeline read-through Acute safety, target engagement, clinical responses Expanding network of academic & industry partners to enhance platform
Corporate Presentation May 2021
Exhibit 99.3
Cabaletta Bio Reports Acute Safety Data from the First Dose Cohort in DesCAARTes™ Trial
– No dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) or clinically relevant adverse events observed in the first dose cohort as of April 30, 2021 –
– Second dose cohort to be initiated after the third patient completes 28 day follow up, absent any DLT –
– Acute safety data from the second and third cohorts are anticipated in the third and fourth quarters of 2021, respectively. Topline data on target engagement in the first cohort are expected in the second half of 2021 –
– Company to host conference call today at 8:30 a.m. ET –
PHILADELPHIA, May 3, 2021 — Cabaletta Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: CABA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of engineered T cell therapies for patients with B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases, today announced acute safety data from the first dose cohort of the ongoing DesCAARTes™ Phase 1 clinical trial of DSG3-CAART for the treatment of patients with mucosal-dominant pemphigus vulgaris (mPV).
“We are encouraged by the acute safety profile of DSG3-CAART in this initial low dose cohort. In the first cohort of three patients dosed with DSG3-CAART, there were no clinically relevant adverse events, including cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity, during the 8-day acute safety window, which we expect is the period with highest probability of observing treatment-related toxicities. In addition, no dose-limiting toxicities or clinically relevant adverse events were observed in the two patients who have completed more than the full 28-day DLT monitoring period post-infusion,” said David J. Chang, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Cabaletta. These safety data were observed with an administered dose of 20 million DSG3-CAART cells, without preconditioning and in the presence of circulating anti-DSG3 antibodies; DSG3-CAART was detected at low levels via quantitative polymerase chain reaction in both patients who have been evaluated and completed the 28-day DLT period. The third patient is scheduled to be evaluated for presence of DSG3-CAART after the 28-day follow-up period.
“The pace of the clinical trial is accelerating with the ongoing enrollment of patients and engagement of additional clinical sites. We believe these initial safety data represent an important step towards achieving our goal to offer a therapy that may provide deep and durable responses, and potentially cures, for patients in the pemphigus community,” said Dr. Chang.
The DesCAARTes™ trial is currently enrolling patients in the second cohort at a treatment dose of 100 million DSG3-CAART cells. Infusions are planned to initiate following the third patient in the first dose cohort completing the 28-day monitoring period without any DLTs. Cabaletta expects to announce acute safety data for the second and third cohorts in the third and fourth quarters of 2021, respectively. Topline data on target engagement from the first cohort are anticipated during the second half of 2021. Cabaletta will continue to provide additional topline safety and target engagement data from the DesCAARTes™ trial once available on a cohort-by-cohort basis.
Conference Call Details
Cabaletta management will host a conference call today at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss this data and other recent pipeline updates. To participate in the conference call, please dial 866-939-3921 (domestic) or 678-302-3550 (international) and refer to the conference ID 50150570. A live webcast of the presentation can be accessed under “Events & Presentations” in the Investors & Media section of Cabaletta’s website at www.cabalettabio.com.
About the DesCAARTes™ Clinical Trial
Cabaletta’s DesCAARTes™ Phase 1 trial is an open-label, multi-center study of DSG3-CAART in adults with mucosal-dominant pemphigus vulgaris. The trial is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of DSG3-CAART as well as to identify evidence of target engagement and early signs of efficacy. The study consists of three parts: 1) dose escalation, 2) dose consolidation, and 3) cohort expansion at the final selected dose and schedule. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 30 patients across multiple clinical sites throughout the United States. Visit clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04422912) for more information.
About Pemphigus Vulgaris
mPV is a rare autoimmune blistering disease that is characterized by the loss of adhesion between cells of the skin or mucous membranes. mPV is caused by the production of autoantibodies that disrupt structural proteins within the skin and/or mucosa that connect with other proteins to enable the skin and/or mucosal cells to connect with each other. The autoantibodies can target DSG3 and/or desmoglein 1 (DSG1), which are primarily expressed in the mucosal membranes and skin, respectively. mPV is characterized by autoantibodies against DSG3 only whereas mucocutaneous PV (mcPV) is characterized by autoantibodies against DSG3 and DSG1.
About CAAR T Cell Therapy
Chimeric AutoAntibody Receptor (CAAR) T cells are designed to selectively bind and eliminate only disease-causing B cells, while sparing the normal B cells that are essential for human health. CAAR T cells are based on the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell technology. While CAR T cells typically contain a CD19-targeting molecule, CAAR T cells express an autoantibody-targeted antigen on their surface. The co-stimulatory domain and the signaling domain of both a CAR T cell and a CAAR T cell carry out the same activation and cytotoxic functions. Thus, Cabaletta’s CAARs are designed to direct the patient’s T cells to kill only the pathogenic cells that express disease-causing autoantibodies on their surface, potentially leading to complete and durable remission of disease while sparing all other B cell populations that provide beneficial immunity from infection.
About Cabaletta Bio
Cabaletta Bio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of engineered T cell therapies, and exploring their potential to provide a deep and durable, perhaps curative, treatment, for patients with B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. The Cabaletta Approach to selective B cell Ablation (CABA™) platform, in combination with Cabaletta’s proprietary technology, utilizes CAAR T cells that are designed to selectively bind and eliminate only specific autoantibody-producing B cells while sparing normal antibody-producing B cells, which are essential for human health. The Company’s lead product candidate, DSG3-CAART, is being evaluated in the DesCAARTesTM phase 1 clinical trial as a potential treatment for patients with mucosal pemphigus vulgaris, a prototypical B cell-mediated
autoimmune disease. The FDA granted Fast Track Designation for DSG3-CAART in May 2020. For more information about the DesCAARTes™ Phase 1 clinical trial, please see www.clinicaltrials.gov. The Company’s lead preclinical product candidate, MuSK-CAART, is in IND-enabling studies and is designed as a potential treatment for patients with MuSK-associated myasthenia gravis. For more information, visit www.cabalettabio.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” of Cabaletta within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including without limitation, express or implied statements regarding expectations regarding the progress and results of its DesCAARTes™ Phase 1 trial, including Cabaletta’s ability to enroll the requisite number of patients in the trial; the expectation that Cabaletta may improve outcomes for patients suffering from mPV; the effectiveness and timing of product candidates that Cabaletta may develop, including in collaboration with academic partners; the safety, efficacy and tolerability of DSG3-CAART for the treatment of mPV; expectations of the potential impact of COVID-19 on strategy, future operations, and the timing of its clinical trials, including the potential impacts on enrollment and initiation of its DesCAARTes™ Phase 1 trial; and statements regarding regulatory filings regarding its development programs.
Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs of future events, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: Cabaletta’s ability to demonstrate sufficient evidence of safety, efficacy and tolerability in its clinical trials of DSG3-CAART; risks related to clinical trial site activation or enrollment rates that are lower than expected; risks related to unexpected safety or efficacy data observed during clinical studies; risks related to the impact of public health epidemics affecting countries or regions in which we have operations or do business, such as COVID-19; risks related to Cabaletta’s ability to protect and maintain its intellectual property position; uncertainties related to the initiation and conduct of studies and other development requirements for its product candidates; and the risk that the initial or interim results of clinical studies will not be predictive of future results in connection with future studies. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause Cabaletta’s actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Cabaletta’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Cabaletta’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Cabaletta undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
Contacts:
Anup Marda
Chief Financial Officer
Sarah McCabe
Stern Investor Relations, Inc.