Dispatch Bio Emerges from Stealth with $216M to Tackle Solid Tumors with Novel In Vivo CAR-T Approach

San Francisco & Philadelphia, PA – July 23, 2025 – A new biotechnology startup, Dispatch Bio, has exited stealth mode after three years of quiet operation, revealing a bold mission to revolutionize the treatment of solid tumors – a challenge that has largely eluded cell therapies successful in blood cancers. Backed by $216 million in funding, including $100 million recently secured, Dispatch Bio brings together a formidable team of CAR-T pioneers, leading scientists, and seasoned biotech entrepreneurs.

The company’s scientific co-founders include Dr. Carl June (University of Pennsylvania), a key figure in CAR-T development, and Dr. Chris Garcia (Stanford University). They are joined by Dr. Andy Minn (formerly Penn, now Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) and Dr. Kole Roybal (University of California, San Francisco). Leading the charge is CEO Sabah Öney, previously Chief Business Officer at Alector, with Jeff Marrazzo, former CEO of Spark Therapeutics, chairing the company.

Solid tumors constitute approximately 90% of global cancer cases but present unique challenges to immunotherapies due to their physical and chemical defenses and the difficulty in finding cancer-specific markers.

A Novel Two-Pronged Strategy: Dispatch Bio’s innovative approach aims to overcome these hurdles with a two-part therapeutic strategy:

1. Oncotropic Viral Vector: An engineered viral vector, specific to cancer cells and unable to replicate in healthy tissue, is administered. This virus targets both primary and metastatic tumor sites. Upon replication within cancer cells, it places a synthetic antigen on the cell surface, ensuring specificity and sparing healthy cells.
2. Tumor Microenvironment Modulation: The viral vector also secretes carefully selected cytokines and chemokines designed to significantly alter the tumor microenvironment. This aims to convert an immunosuppressive environment into one that actively supports and enables the immune system.
3. Autologous CAR-T Therapy: Following the viral vector administration, patients receive an autologous (patient-derived) CAR-T cell therapy. These CAR-T cells are specifically designed to recognize and target the synthetic antigen placed by the virus, ensuring precise and potent tumor eradication within a receptive microenvironment.

“That inflammation that the virus brings into the tumor microenvironment is a really important first step,” stated Barbra Sasu, Dispatch’s Chief Scientific Officer, emphasizing how this primes the tumor for CAR-T efficacy. CEO Sabah Öney noted the exceptional killing power, with “Each CAR-T cell able to kill more than 5,000 cancer cells alone.”

Strategic Funding and Future Outlook: Investors in Dispatch Bio include the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), ARCH Venture Partners, Bristol Myers Squibb, alongside Alexandria Venture Investments, the University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

With $216 million in funding, Dispatch Bio aims to advance its redefined autologous CAR-T approach into the clinic next year. The company plans to leverage its current funding to obtain Phase 1 data and eyes Phase 2 data for potential accelerated FDA approval. While specific initial indications remain undisclosed, the focus will be on solid tumors with limited existing treatment options beyond first-line therapy. The company’s ultimate ambition is a “universal treatment” applicable to a wide range of solid tumors, including lung, breast, colon, gastric, esophageal, and pancreatic cancers.

Headquartered with approximately 60 employees across labs in San Francisco and Philadelphia, Dispatch Bio also has “a number of partnerships and licensing deals already in place” that will be disclosed at a later date. This launch positions Dispatch Bio as a significant new player in the race to conquer solid tumors with next-generation cell therapies.