CAR-T Cells Against Solid Tumors: Sabah Oney on The Long Run

Sabah Oney is today’s guest on The Long Run.

Sabah is the CEO of Philadelphia and San Francisco-based Dispatch Biotherapeutics.

Sabah Oney, CEO, Dispatch Biotherapeutics

This startup is developing engineered CAR-T cell therapies for solid tumors. The goal is to bring the power of CAR-T cell cures to a wider group of patients, beyond those with blood cancers.

Dispatch was founded by some of the leading scientists in the field of CAR-T cell therapy. It has raised $216 million over the past three years. Backers include Arch Venture Partners and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, along with Bristol Myers Squibb, the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Alexandria Venture Investments.

The idea is to tag cancer cells with a universal antigen so the immune system knows what to kill, while also breaking down some of the barricades in the tumor microenvironment that have stymied previous CAR-T cells against solid tumors. The company’s first drug candidate is being prepared to enter clinical trials in 2026.

Please enjoy this conversation with a passionate scientific entrepreneur working on something that could make a big difference for 90 percent of patients with cancer.