Blood cancer biotech Vor Bio ends clinical work, lays off 95% of staff
Title
Vor Bio Halts Clinical Operations, Lays Off 95% Amid Strategic Review
Keywords
- Vor Bio
- blood cancer
- acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
- myelodysplastic syndromes
- cell therapy
- gene therapy
- layoffs
- biotech wind-down
- clinical trial termination
- strategic alternatives
- biopharma industry
- Siddhartha Mukherjee
Key Facts
- Vor Bio, a Cambridge-based biotech focused on cell and gene therapies for blood cancers, has halted all clinical and manufacturing operations and is laying off 95% of its workforce531.
- The decision includes scrapping two ongoing phase 1/2 clinical trials for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes, including trem-cel (a gene-edited hematopoietic stem cell therapy) and an allogeneic CAR-T therapy53.
- Only eight employees remain at Vor Bio to pursue strategic alternatives, which could include asset divestiture, licensing, sale, or merger51.
- The company cited a challenging fundraising environment and an assessment of its current clinical data as reasons for the shutdown, noting there were no safety concerns with its assets5.
- Vor Bio was founded by renowned oncologist and author Siddhartha Mukherjee, and aimed to transform therapy for blood cancers through innovative genome engineering54.
- This move aligns with a broader trend in the biotech sector, where numerous cell and gene therapy companies have recently faced layoffs and closures due to difficult market conditions5.
- At the time of the announcement, Vor Bio's shares closed at $0.56, after previously staying above $1 earlier in 20255.
Sources:
1. https://ir.vorbio.com/news-releases/news-release-details/vor-bio-announces-exploration-strategic-alternatives-maximize
3. https://endpts.com/blood-cancer-biotech-vor-bio-ends-clinical-work-lays-off-95-of-staff/
5. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/cell-therapy-firm-vor-bio-wind-down-halting-trials-and-shedding-staff