INKT News & Events

MiNK Therapeutics announced the upcoming initiation of a Phase 1, investigator-sponsored clinical trial evaluating its lead therapy, agenT-797, in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The trial, led by Hongtao Liu, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, with co-investigator Kalyan Nadiminti, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of agenT-797 in reducing graft-versus-host disease, relapse, and other post-transplant complications in patients with high-risk leukemias and other blood cancers. Two complementary public-private funding awards support the advancement of agenT-797 development in HSCT and GvHD. First, an NIH STTR grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases supports MiNK and the University of Wisconsin-Madison team to develop and evaluate agenT-797 in preclinical models. Second, a philanthropic clinical grant, the Mary Gooze Clinical Trial Award to the University of Wisconsin-Madison directly funds enrollment, immune monitoring, and operations for the Phase 1. Together, these awards enable the simultaneous execution of translational and clinical studies of iNKTs in GvHD prevention.

MiNK Therapeutics announced the publication of new preclinical data for MiNK-215, a novel, next-generation FAP-targeting, IL-15-enhanced CAR-iNKT therapy. The manuscript, titled The allogeneic FAP-CAR-IL15 iNKT therapy MiNK-215 remodels the tumor stroma to enhance antitumor immunity", is now available on Cancer Immunology Research website. "The findings published today underscore the real potential of MiNK-215 to reshape how we treat solid tumors that have resisted immunotherapy for decades. By dismantling the fibroblast barriers that shield these cancers and activating multiple arms of the immune system, MiNK-215 goes beyond traditional checkpoint approaches. As an allogeneic, off-the-shelf therapy, it represents a meaningful step toward delivering scalable, immediate immune engagement for patients who currently have few effective options," said Jennifer Buell, PhD, President and CEO of MiNK Therapeutics.

"This trial reflects the broader momentum of our iNKT platform as we expand into diseases marked by profound immune dysregulation," said Dr. Terese Hammond, Head of Inflammatory and Pulmonary Diseases at MiNK Therapeutics. "Whether in transplantation, severe pulmonary inflammation, or systemic immune collapse, the ability of iNKT cells to rebalance immunity creates a compelling opportunity to change outcomes across multiple high-need conditions. With strong support from NIH and our philanthropic partners, we are advancing a development program with meaningful potential across several disease areas."