Caribou Biosciences

Caribou Biosciences closes after failing to fund pivotal CAR-T trial

Caribou Biosciences is shutting down operations and laying off staff after failing to secure funding for a Phase 3 trial of its allogeneic CAR-T therapy, vispa-cel. The company, which spun out of Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna’s lab, had $113.8 million in cash but could not raise the capital needed to advance its pipeline. While its therapy showed efficacy comparable to approved autologous treatments, the company is seeking strategic alternatives like a sale or merger as investor interest shifts toward in vivo gene editing approaches.