BioNTech's new CAR-T manufacturing process enhances potency – and side effects- in patients with solid tumors

In an effort to chart its post-COVID pipeline, BioNTech is working towards reinventing its cancer modalities, one of which has come up against manufacturing challenges.
This week, BioNTech presented  data&nbsp;from a reformulated version of the CAR-T therapy BNT211 at the European Society for Medical Oncology (EMSO), showing that the therapy had signs of clinical efficacy with an overall response rate of 45% in 38 of 44 evaluable patients with solid tumors plus a disease control rate of 74%. While the reformulated BNT211 boosted potency of the solid tumor therapy, it elevated the side effect profile as well, specifically cases of Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS). CRS is a known complication of CAR-T therapy where the immune system overreacts and causes fever, nausea and other symptoms that can become serious.