KYSA-7: A Study of Anti-CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy, in Subjects With Refractory Primary and Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease in which lymphocytes at first attack the myelin sheaths within the central nervous system (CNS), accompanied or later followed by axonal damage. B cells play a central and multifunctional role in the immunopathogenesis of MS. B cells present antigen to T cells in stimulating a pro-inflammatory immune cascade, secrete pathogenic cytokines, moderate T cell and myeloid cell functions, form structural B cell meningeal follicles within the human central nervous system and produce pathogenic antibodies upon evolution to plasma cells.

CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells harness the ability of cytotoxic T cells to directly and specifically lyse target cells to effectively deplete B cells in the circulation and in lymphoid and potentially non-lymphoid tissues. KYV-101, a fully human anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, will be investigated in adult subjects with refractory primary and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Key Inclusion Criteria:

• Subject must have a history of diagnosis of primary progressive or secondary progressive MS.
• History of treatment with anti-CD20 mAb with continuing evidence of worsening physical disability over a period of ≥6 months, with documented clinical disability progression within the 2 years prior to inclusion.

Key Exclusion Criteria:

• Monophasic disease, radiologically isolated syndrome, clinically isolated syndrome, progressive solitary sclerosis or relapsing-remitting disease as defined by the 2017 McDonald criteria.
• History of CNS or spinal cord tumor, metabolic or infectious cause of myelopathy, genetically inherited progressive CNS disorder, sarcoidosis, non-MS progressive neurologic condition or PML.
• Prior treatment with cellular therapy (CAR-T) or gene therapy product directed at any target
• History of allogeneic or autologous stem cell transplant
• Evidence of active hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection
• Positive serology for HIV
• Primary immunodeficiency
• History of splenectomy
• History of stroke, seizure, dementia, Parkinson's disease, coordination movement disorder, cerebellar diseases, psychosis, paresis, aphasia, and any other neurologic disorder investigator considers would increase the risk for the subject
• Impaired cardiac function or clinically significant cardiac disease
• Previous or concurrent malignancy with the following exceptions:

• Adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma (adequate wound healing is required prior to screening)
• In situ carcinoma of the cervix or breast, treated curatively and without evidence of recurrence for at least 3 years prior to screening
• A primary malignancy which has been completely resected, or treated, and is in complete remission for at least 5 years prior to screening