Click-CAR: Strategic Innovation for a New Generation of CAR-T Therapies
The UTE BBZS_CAR-T consortium is advancing the CART_Andalucía project with a modular and scalable platform aimed at enabling more sustainable and effective access to advanced therapies.
UTE BBZS_CAR-T has launched Phase 2 of CART_Andalucía following the award of €774,645.63. The consortium—comprising Biotechnology Assets (BIAT Group), BIOGipuzkoa, ZIP Solutions and SILO, together with Advanthera as strategic CDMO—will focus in this phase on the scientific validation of the prototype through non-regulatory preclinical studies targeting lymphoid neoplasms.
The project’s key differentiating element is the Click-CAR platform, based on split-inteins and owned by BIAT/ZIP, which introduces a modular, universal design with controlled “on/off” activation. This approach aims to facilitate industrial standardization, enhance clinical safety, and address antigen escape. The goal is to optimize efficacy, reduce toxicities such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and improve therapeutic persistence, ultimately lowering relapse rates.
Within the framework of Public Procurement of Innovation, the initiative strengthens a public–private collaboration model focused on the sustainability of the Public Health System and equitable access to high-impact therapies.
The public procurement of innovation project entitled “Development of a new CAR-T therapy for patients with lymphoid neoplasms with optimized efficacy, immunogenicity and toxicity for clinical implementation” (CART_ANDALUCÍA), funded with €4,280,500 by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Andalusia ERDF Programme 2021–2027, is an initiative of the Regional Ministry of Health, Presidency and Emergencies of the Government of Andalusia and is managed by the Andalusian Public Foundation Progreso y Salud.