Caribou Biosciences Outlines Plans for Pivotal-Ready CAR-T Therapies

Company seeks additional capital to fund pivotal trial for vispa-cel in second-line large B-cell lymphoma

Feb. 23, 2026 at 5:06pm

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Caribou Biosciences executives used Citi's Virtual Oncology Summit to outline the company's strategy for bringing off-the-shelf, allogeneic CAR-T cell therapies to broader populations of patients with hematologic cancers. The company discussed its CRISPR platform, clinical learnings from its two lead programs, and plans for a pivotal study in second-line large B-cell lymphoma that will require additional funding.

Why it matters

Caribou's allogeneic CAR-T therapies aim to address key barriers limiting the uptake of autologous CAR-T treatments, including the time required for manufacturing and geographic access, by providing an 'off-the-shelf' option. The company's progress in this area could expand treatment options for patients with blood cancers.

The details

Caribou's lead programs are vispa-cel for second-line large B-cell lymphoma and CB-011 for multiple myeloma. For vispa-cel, the company has concluded a Phase 1 study and plans to initiate a pivotal trial in patients ineligible for autologous CAR-T or stem cell transplant, focusing on progression-free survival as a key endpoint. Caribou has identified key learnings from its clinical experience, including the benefit of using younger donors and only modest HLA matching requirements. For CB-011, the company has reported promising efficacy data from the dose escalation portion of the Phase 1 trial and plans to expand the cohort to further define the dataset.

  • Caribou plans to initiate the vispa-cel pivotal trial in the first half of 2026, pending finalization of discussions with the FDA.
  • The company expects to report progression-free survival data from the vispa-cel pivotal trial sometime in 2028.
  • Caribou plans to provide updates on the CB-011 program, including initial data from the dose expansion cohort, in 2026.

The players

Caribou Biosciences

A clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that leverages its proprietary CRISPR-Cas gene-editing platform to develop transformative cell therapies and in vivo treatments for a range of cancers and genetic diseases.

Rachel Haurwitz

President and CEO of Caribou Biosciences.

Sri Ryali

CFO of Caribou Biosciences.

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