CIRM awards $26 million to boost clinical trials for cancer, heart, and rare diseases

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is proud to announce the allocation of $26 million to support clinical research targeting a range of cancers, heart conditions, and rare diseases. This significant funding underscores CIRM’s commitment to advancing innovative stem cell and gene therapy-based treatments through all stages of clinical trial development.

This latest round of awards will support five projects within CIRM’s Clinical program, which aims to provide critical funding for eligible projects at various stages of their development. These new awards bring the total number of CIRM-funded clinical trials to 108, highlighting our ongoing dedication to fostering groundbreaking research and transformative therapies.

The recipients of CIRM’s Clinical program funding this month include: 
 

Grant Title and Application Number  Principal Investigator/Institution  Award Amount 
CLIN1-14792: Superior forward-oriented b-globin vector for treating Sickle Cell Disease  Abedi, Mehrdad — UC Davis  $4,619,455 
CLIN1-14825: Development of a Gene Therapy for the Treatment of WWOX related epileptic encephalopathy (WOREE)  Weiss, Yael — Mahzi Therapeutics  $4,000,000 
CLIN1-16244: Novel Gene Therapy Targeting Multiple Pathological Drivers of Desmoplakin Associated Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy  Ascheim, Deborah D. — Rejuvenate Bio  $4,000,000 
CLIN2-15218: A Phase 2 Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of IV Administered rAAV Gene Therapy in Male Patients with Danon Disease  Schwartz, Jonathan — Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  $5,808,735 
CLIN2-16156: Selective, Off-the-Shelf Logic Gated CAR NK Cell Therapy Targeting CD33 and/or FLT3 Expressing Hematologic Malignancies  Emery, Rochelle – Senti Bio  $8,000,000  

These projects represent a crucial step in improving patient outcomes and offering new hope for individuals affected by these severe health challenges.

CIRM remains committed to supporting the most promising regenerative medicine research, intending to accelerate the development of treatments and cures. We are excited to see the progress that will be made possible through these new grants and look forward to their positive impact on patients’ lives.