The Anti-CDMO with CTMC's Jason Bock, Ph.D. and KSQ's Thomas Leitch
May 20, 2024
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Dr. Jason Bock, CEO of CTMC, challenges the CDMO classification for his company. He shares CTMC's mission to aid early clinical-stage firms like KSQ Therapeutics enter their clinical stage successfully. The podcast explores the collaboration between CTMC and KSQ, discussing the challenges and innovations in cell therapy development, experienced groups in the Tills industry uniting, cultural alignment and technical collaborations in biotech partnerships, the power of aligned incentives in collaborations, and excitement in advancing clinical data sets and cell therapies.
CTMC focuses on accelerating cell therapy development through a unique partnership with MD Anderson.
The collaboration between CTMC and KSQ emphasizes cultural alignment and logistical advantages for advancing till programs.
Geographic proximity between CTMC and MD Anderson enables seamless operations, aligning incentives for mutual success in clinical manufacturing.
Deep dives
Origin Story and Partnership Model of CTMC and KSQ
The origin story of CTMC involves the vision to accelerate cell therapy as a field, transitioning from academic science to industrial therapeutic development. Through a partnership with MD Anderson, CTMC focuses on industrializing research concepts and accelerating cell therapy development. On the other hand, KSQ focuses on gene-edited till programs uncovering optimal targets for oncology with promising results and potential therapeutic development.
Unique Beginning and Collaboration Accelerating Development
CTMC's boutique CDMO origin story showcased a unique partnership model with KSQ, emphasizing culture and technical capability alignment. The collaboration catalyzed the acceleration of developing KSQ's till program, highlighting logistical advantages, scientific collaboration, and cultural fit between the teams.
Efficiency Through Proximity and Alignment of Incentives
The geographic proximity of CTMC and MD Anderson facilitates seamless logistics in patient enrollment and clinical manufacturing, mitigating risks and fostering efficient operations. The partnership exhibits win-together, lose-together dynamics, aligning incentives between CTMC and KSQ to drive success together.
Future Steps and Platform Expansion
KSQ's future steps involve moving forward with clinical enrollment and data readouts of their lead candidate 001 EX following FDA clearance. The platform's potential expansions include advanced correlative analyses and further clinical developments. CTMC aims to enable future options for partners beyond positive outcomes, fostering optionality and ongoing collaboration.
Leveraging Second-Generation Tills for Cancer Treatment
Both CTMC and KSQ anticipate exploring the benefits of second-generation Tills in solid tumor therapy, leveraging advanced technologies and robust clinical setups. The collaboration sets the stage for evaluating the potential of next-generation Tills and driving advancements in cancer treatment.
This isn't your typical drug sponsor + CDMO story. In fact, CTMC's Jason Bock, Ph.D. says you shouldn't even classify his company a CDMO. He's not wrong. While some of the company's services aren't dissimilar from those offered by a contract developer, CTMC began with a more fundamental mission in mind -- to help early clinical-stage companies like KSQ Therapeutics prepare for and enter their clinical stage on the best possible footing, and with the best possible clinical partner in the MD Anderson Cancer Center. On this episode of the Business of Biotech, KSQ's Thomas Leitch and Dr. Bock join us to share the story of CTMC's evolution, KSQ's partnership need as it advanced its lead phase 1 TIL therapy for solid tumors, how the partnership unfolded and who's on the hook for what as KSQ begins its clinical journey.
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