Octane Biotech and Currus Biologics have completed the automation of the CUR‑001 manufacturing process on Octane’s Cocoon Platform. The transfer establishes a closed, reliable process designed to support consistent production as CUR‑001 enters clinical development.
The milestone follows FDA clearance of Currus’ IND application for CUR‑001, announced in September 2026. The approval enables a first‑in‑human, open‑label phase 1 basket trial in patients with mesothelin‑positive advanced refractory solid tumours. The first patient is expected to be dosed in early 2027.
CUR‑001 is the first clinical programme from Currus’ BEAT platform. It combines an autologous, FLAG‑tagged CAR T‑cell therapy targeting mesothelin with a BEAT bispecific antibody. The design is intended to activate CAR T‑cells in lymphoid tissue and counter the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment that has limited CAR T‑cell therapy in solid tumours.
The companies have transferred the CUR‑001 process onto the Cocoon, Octane’s automated system for patient‑specific cell therapies. Moving to the Cocoon significantly reduced hands‑on operator time and the amount of viral vector required for each batch. This has produced a lower‑cost process that will support the programme as it advances.
Sam Cobb, Chief Executive Officer of Currus Biologics, said: “Getting IND clearance was a significant step forward. Ensuring we can make CUR‑001 reliably, patient after patient, is now our focus.”
He added: “The success of an autologous therapy depends heavily on the process behind it. Moving CUR‑001 onto the Cocoon gives us a consistent, closed process as we head into the clinic, and a manufacturing model that can grow with the programme.”
Louis Briggs, Vice President at Octane Biotech, explained: “Currus has a smart answer to one of the hardest problems in cell therapy, which is getting CAR T‑cells to work in solid tumours.”
He added: “Automating CUR‑001 on the Cocoon means fewer manual steps, less variability between batches and a process built to scale from phase 1 onward. We’re proud to support Currus as CUR‑001 moves toward its first patients.”
Octane and Currus will continue collaborating as CUR‑001 progresses through clinical development. The partnership aims to establish a reproducible manufacturing process and ultimately provide a new CAR T‑cell option for patients with hard‑to‑treat solid tumours.
For the phase 1 trial, CUR‑001 will be manufactured on the Cocoon at the Melbourne facility of Cell Therapies Pty Ltd. Technology transfer has already been completed, establishing readiness to support clinical manufacturing.
