Umoja Biopharma launches with $53 million for drug-controlled CAR T-cell therapies

Umoja Biopharma has launched with $53 million in series A financing to develop next-generation CAR T-cell immunotherapies for cancer. Umoja says it has three tricks for improving cell therapies: genetically engineering T cells inside the body rather than outside; using “tumor tags” to label cancer cells for T cells to attack; and using small molecules to change the T cells’ activity. Umoja was cofounded by Seattle Children’s cancer researcher Michael Jensen and Purdue University chemist Philip Low. Low also cofounded the cancer firm Endocyte, which Novartis acquired for $2.1 billion in 2018.