Fate Therapeutics' Stem Cell-Derived NK Lymphoma Candidate Casts Doubt Over Durability Of Response

Fate Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:FATE) revealed an early cut of Phase I data for its FT596 and FT516 programs for relapsed / refractory B-cell lymphoma.
At the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology Meeting, the Company highlighted positive interim FT516 program data for 11 pretreated patients.
Related: Fate Therapeutics Shares Positive B-Cell Lymphoma Data at ASCO21.
At a three-month check-in, eight of 11 B cell lymphoma patients who received FT516 reported an objective response with no major safety signals.
But at a July 7 cutoff, just five patients (45%) maintained those responses, with two complete responders seeing their disease progress and a partial responder forced to receive an “additional anti-cancer therapy.”
FT516’s results in patients with prior CD19 CAR-T therapy, two of four posted a complete response, spurring Fate to announce a dose-expansion cohort in that population.
Meanwhile, FT596 posted early data of its showing promising efficacy.
Interim data showed that 10 of 14 patients across two dose-escalation cohorts posted an objective response, including seven complete responders, including two of three patients treated with a combo of FT596 and Rituxan after autologous CD19 CAR-T therapy.
Fate expects to present further data from both studies at the upcoming ASH conference in December, including a first look at the durability of response for FT596.
Price Action: FATE shares closed 5.90% lower at $85.63 on Thursday.