CAMBRIDGE, Mass., U.S., Aug 28, 2026
CREATE Medicines, Inc. announced a strategic research and development collaboration and license agreement with WestGene Biopharma to expand targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technologies and advance next-generation in vivo CAR therapies. The collaboration combines CREATE’s multi-immune programming and RNA gene-writing platforms with WestGene’s proprietary targeted LNP technology to support research, development and early clinical evaluation of multiple product candidates. The companies plan to initially advance programs across autoimmune disease and solid tumors, including dual-target CAR approaches and a platform designed to support more durable CAR expression following a single administration. The partnership also expands CREATE’s access to targeted delivery capabilities and strengthens its global development strategy in in vivo cell therapy.
CREATE and WestGene Combine CAR and LNP Platforms
Under the collaboration, CREATE will work with WestGene to evaluate the potential of targeted LNP delivery in combination with its in vivo CAR platform across three next-generation programs. The partnership is intended to provide additional capabilities for research, development and early clinical evaluation while supporting potential clinical proof of concept, including in China. CREATE’s platform uses mRNA-LNP technology to program immune cells directly inside the body, with the goal of developing scalable, repeat-dose and off-the-shelf cell therapies. WestGene contributes proprietary targeted LNP (tLNP) delivery technology and experience in translating mRNA-based therapeutics into clinical development. The companies said the combination could help accelerate development of differentiated in vivo CAR candidates by integrating immune-cell programming, RNA expression strategies and targeted delivery into a broader therapeutic development approach.
Three In Vivo CAR Programs Target Cancer and Autoimmune Disease
The initial collaboration will focus on three programs spanning autoimmune disease, solid tumors and durable gene delivery. CRT-403 is being developed as a dual-target CD19 × BCMA in vivo CAR-T therapy for autoimmune disease, with the objective of targeting both B cells and antibody-producing plasma cells. CRT-401 is a dual-component HER2 × TROP2 multi-immune in vivo CAR program designed for solid tumors. The third program combines CREATE’s proprietary RetroT site-specific RNA gene integration platform with WestGene’s targeted delivery technology to investigate durable CAR expression following a single administration. CREATE said these programs build on its broader in vivo CAR strategy, including CRT-402, a CD19-directed transient and repeat-dose in vivo CAR-T program currently being evaluated in a first-in-human Phase 1/2 study. The company is expanding its CD19 development strategy through dual-target CD19 × BCMA immune programming and potentially durable CAR expression through its RetroT platform.
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Global Partnerships Strengthen In Vivo Cell Therapy Pipeline
The collaboration adds WestGene to CREATE’s growing network of targeted-delivery partnerships and expands the biotechnology company’s international development capabilities. CREATE currently reports targeted-delivery collaborations with WestGene in China, Monash University in Australia and Acuitas Therapeutics in Canada. The company said its development strategy is supported by clinical experience across its in vivo CAR programs, with more than 60 patients dosed across its clinical programs. According to CREATE, data generated across its candidates are being used to inform subsequent programs by providing insights across therapeutic targets, immune-cell populations, delivery systems, CAR architectures, expression profiles, dosing strategies and disease settings. WestGene’s portfolio includes LNP and tLNP delivery platforms and next-generation mRNA therapeutics spanning oncology, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and metabolic disorders. Its lead mRNA asset, WGc-043, is described as a therapeutic cancer vaccine for Epstein–Barr virus-associated malignancies and has received regulatory clearance to initiate Phase 2 clinical trials. The agreement represents a significant development in the companies’ efforts to advance in vivo immune programming and next-generation CAR therapies. By combining CREATE’s clinical-stage CAR platform with WestGene’s targeted delivery capabilities, the collaboration is intended to support broader development of in vivo cell therapies and generate clinical data across multiple disease areas. The companies emphasized the potential of the collaboration to accelerate translation of differentiated CAR programs into clinical studies while expanding the geographic reach of their development activities.
Source: CREATE Medicines press release
