TCR2

About TCR2

TCR2 Therapeutics Inc. was a clinical-stage immunotherapy company that focused on developing T-cell therapies for cancer patients. Founded in 2015 by Dr. Patrick A. Baeuerle and MPM Capital, the company was based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Baeuerle, a molecular biologist and immunologist, has co-founded several biotech companies and has a background in cancer immunotherapy research, including the development of BiTE antibodies at Micromet. Garry E. Menzel joined as President and CEO in 2016, bringing experience from roles at DaVita Healthcare, Regulus Therapeutics, Goldman Sachs, and Credit Suisse.

The company's core technology was its proprietary T-cell receptor (TCR) Fusion Construct T-cells (TRuC-T cells) platform. This platform was designed to engineer T-cells to recognize and kill cancer cells by utilizing the entire TCR signaling complex, operating independently of human leukocyte antigens (HLA). The business operated as a pre-revenue, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical firm, investing heavily in research and development to bring its novel cancer treatments to market. Its primary focus was on treating solid tumors, which represents a significant unmet medical need in the cell therapy space.

TCR2's lead product candidate was gavo-cel (gavocabtagene autoleucel), a TRuC-T cell therapy targeting mesothelin-positive solid tumors. Clinical trials for gavo-cel included patients with non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and mesothelioma. Other pipeline candidates included TC-510, an enhanced TRuC-T cell also targeting mesothelin, and TC-520, which targeted CD70-expressing tumors. These therapies involved extracting a patient's T-cells, genetically engineering them to recognize specific tumor antigens, and then re-infusing them. The company had established a manufacturing facility to produce its drug candidates.

Facing financial difficulties and a challenging capital market, TCR2 underwent significant restructuring, including reducing its workforce by 40% in early 2023 to extend its cash runway. In March 2023, TCR2 Therapeutics entered into a definitive merger agreement with Adaptimmune Therapeutics. The all-stock transaction was completed on June 1, 2023, with TCR2 becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adaptimmune. The combined entity continues to trade under Adaptimmune's ticker symbol, ADAP, and aims to be a preeminent force in solid tumor cell therapy by leveraging the complementary technologies of both companies.