Wugen
Wugen is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic, off-the-shelf CAR-T and memory NK cell therapies for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, with its lead program Soficabtagene Geleucel in pivotal Phase 2 trials for T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and a BLA submission targeted for 2027.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Wugen does
Wugen is a clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2018 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, with additional operations in San Diego, California. The company develops allogeneic, off-the-shelf cellular therapies for cancer, combining CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing with proprietary manufacturing platforms (most notably the Moneta platform for memory NK cells) to produce fratricide-resistant CAR-T cell therapies and cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML) NK cell therapies from healthy donor cells. This architecture eliminates the 3–4 week autologous manufacturing timeline and the malignant-cell contamination risk inherent in patient-derived products, with cryopreserved off-the-shelf product intended to support on-demand delivery at point-of-care.
The company's lead asset, Soficabtagene Geleucel (Sofi-cel / WU-CART-007), is an allogeneic CD7-targeted CAR-T therapy engineered to delete the CD7 and TRAC genes, currently in pivotal Phase 2 (T-RRex) testing for relapsed/refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-ALL/LBL). Its second clinical program, WU-NK-101, is a memory NK cell therapy in Phase 1 for AML with solid tumor expansion in development. Sofi-cel has accumulated Breakthrough Therapy, RMAT, Fast Track, Orphan Drug, and Rare Pediatric Disease designations from the FDA plus EU PRIME designation; early-phase data show a 91% overall response rate and 72.7% complete remission rate in heavily pretreated patients. Wugen is pre-revenue with a BLA submission targeted for 2027. Revenue mechanics post-approval will rely on direct-to-hospital and specialty treatment center channels, supplemented by an exclusive Asia commercialization partnership with Alpha Biopharma covering mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Singapore, with manufacturing enabled by CDMO partner Cellipont Bioservices and MaxCyte electroporation technology. Core IP is anchored by exclusive licenses from Washington University in St. Louis (DiPersio lab for CAR-T, Fehniger lab for memory NK) and HCW Biologics for fusion protein manufacturing reagents.
Wugen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wugen
- Legal name
- Wugen Inc.
- Website
- https://wugen.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Wugen is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic, off-the-shelf CAR-T and memory NK cell therapies for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, with its lead program Soficabtagene Geleucel in pivotal Phase 2 trials for T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and a BLA submission targeted for 2027.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wugen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cell Therapy / Oncology Biotechnology
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- CAR-T & TCR-T Therapies (HLAAABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cell Therapy Developers (Allogeneic/Off-the-shelf) (HLAAABAB), Cell Therapy Enabling Technologies (gene editing, cell engineering, delivery methods) (HLAAABAL), NK Cell Therapies (HLAAABAD), Stem Cell Therapies (MSC/iPSC/HSC-derived) (HLAAABAE), Rare Oncology & Hematologic Malignancy Therapies (HLAIAIAC)
Keywords
Where Wugen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Wugen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Cell Therapy Development and Commercialization: Pre-revenue clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic cell therapies. Revenue will be generated through commercialization of approved cell therapy products once regulatory approvals are obtained. The company is focused on achieving BLA submission for WU-CART-007 by 2027.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Wugen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wugen is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapies for cancer treatment. Its lead candidate, Soficabtagene Geleucel (Sofi-cel / WU-CART-007), is an allogeneic CD7-targeted CAR-T therapy for relapsed/refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-ALL/LBL), and WU-NK-101 is an allogeneic memory natural killer cell therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and solid tumors. The therapies are enabled by Wugen's proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and the Moneta feeder cell-free manufacturing platform.
Product overview
Wugen is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a portfolio of allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapies for cancer treatment. The company's platform consists of two lead product candidates: Soficabtagene Geleucel (Sofi-cel/WU-CART-007), an allogeneic CD7-targeted CAR-T cell therapy for T-cell malignancies (T-ALL/LBL), and WU-NK-101, a memory natural killer (NK) cell therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and solid tumors. These products are enabled by Wugen's proprietary gene editing and cell manufacturing platforms, including CRISPR/Cas9 technology and the Moneta feeder cell-free manufacturing system.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Soficabtagene Geleucel (Sofi-cel / WU-CART-007) An allogeneic, off-the-shelf, CD7-targeted CAR-T cell therapy engineered using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to delete CD7 and TRAC genes, preventing CAR-T cell fratricide and mitigating graft-versus-host disease risk. Manufactured from healthy donor-derived T cells for treatment of relapsed or refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia or T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-ALL/LBL).
- WU-NK-101 An allogeneic memory natural killer (NK) cell therapy utilizing cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML) differentiation, developed using Wugen's proprietary Moneta platform with feeder cell-free manufacturing process for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and solid tumors.
Quantifiable outcome
- 91% overall response rate (10 of 11 evaluable patients) and 72.7% complete remission rate in Phase 1/2 trial for R/R T-ALL/LBL
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Wugen
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Wugen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Wugen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Cellipont BioservicesmajorAgreement for clinical manufacture of Wugen's off-the-shelf CAR-T cellular therapies. Cellipont Bioservices, a cell therapy Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), provides manufacturing services to support clinical development.
- MaxCytemajorStrategic platform license for MaxCyte's Flow Electroporation technology and ExPERT platform to support scale-up of clinical and commercial manufacturing of Wugen's allogeneic cell therapies for hematologic and solid tumor cancers.
- Alpha BiopharmacoreExclusive license and collaboration agreement for manufacturing, development, and commercialization of Wugen's allogeneic cell products in Asia (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan region, and Singapore). Alpha Biopharma responsible for development and commercialization including manufacturing, clinical, regulatory, marketing and sales in territory. Profits and losses equally shared.
- HCW BiologicscoreExclusive license agreement for use of HCW Biologics' proprietary fusion molecules to manufacture Wugen's cellular therapeutics. HCW oversees manufacturing and supply of fusion proteins; Wugen researches, develops, and commercializes cell therapeutic products worldwide. The molecules enable robust activation and expansion of immune cells to lower cost of goods.
- Washington University in St. LouiscoreExclusive license agreement for Memory Natural Killer (NK) Cell-based therapy program. Washington University researchers including Todd Fehniger, M.D., Ph.D. provide ongoing collaboration and scientific support for the development of memory NK cell therapies for AML and solid tumors.
- Washington University in St. LouiscoreExclusive license agreement for CAR-T therapy technologies from the laboratory of John F. DiPersio, M.D., Ph.D. Wugen was founded based on technology licensed from Washington University. The partnership has enabled development of fratricide-resistant allogeneic CAR-T cell therapies for T-cell malignancies.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Wugen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Allogene Therapeutics: Allogene is a leading allogeneic CAR-T developer with multiple clinical-stage programs targeting hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Both companies share the allogeneic off-the-shelf CAR-T approach using healthy donor-derived cells, making them direct competitors in the same regulatory and commercial landscape.
- Fate Therapeutics: Fate Therapeutics develops off-the-shelf NK cell and T-cell therapies using iPSC-derived and engineered cell platforms. Its memory NK cell programs (including FT516 and FT576) directly compete with Wugen's WU-NK-101, and both companies target AML and B-cell malignancies with similar off-the-shelf strategies.
- Caribou Biosciences: Caribou Biosciences develops allogeneic CAR-T cell therapies using CRISPR-based gene editing technology. Both companies leverage CRISPR platforms for allogeneic CAR-T development, though Caribou focuses on B-cell malignancies with CB-010 while Wugen targets T-cell malignancies with WU-CART-007.
- Precision Biosciences: Precision Biosciences develops allogeneic CAR-T therapies using ARCUS gene editing technology for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Its lead program PBCAR0191 and PBCAR20A target similar patient populations to Wugen's pipeline, making it a comparable competitor in the allogeneic CAR-T space.
- Nkarta: Nkarta develops allogeneic NK cell therapies engineered with CAR constructs and other modifications for hematologic malignancies and autoimmune diseases. Its NKX019 (CD19-targeted NK) and NKX101 programs compete directly with Wugen's memory NK cell approach for hematologic cancer indications.
- Cellectis: Cellectis is a clinical-stage allogeneic CAR-T developer using TALEN gene editing technology. Both companies pursue fratricide-resistant approaches and target T-cell malignancies, with Cellectis's UCART7 being a direct competitor to Wugen's WU-CART-007 in T-ALL.
- Century Therapeutics: Century Therapeutics develops iPSC-derived allogeneic cell therapies including CAR-T and NK cell programs targeting hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Its multiplexed gene editing platform is comparable to Wugen's Moneta platform for off-the-shelf cell therapy manufacturing.
Broad incumbents
- CRISPR Therapeutics: CRISPR Therapeutics is a clinical-stage gene editing company developing both autologous (CASGEVY, approved for sickle cell disease) and allogeneic CAR-T cell therapies. Its CTX112 program targets B-cell malignancies, representing a broader gene editing player with adjacent allogeneic CAR-T ambitions.
- Editas Medicine: Editas Medicine is a clinical-stage gene editing company developing CRISPR-based therapies, including EDIT-301 for sickle cell disease and other hematologic indications. While not focused on allogeneic CAR-T, it represents an adjacent gene editing peer with overlapping platform technology.
Regional players
- Adaptimmune: Adaptimmune develops engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies for solid tumors with Tecelra approved for synovial sarcoma. While focused on autologous TCR-T rather than allogeneic CAR-T, it represents a comparable clinical-stage cell therapy peer targeting hematologic and solid tumor indications.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wugen social profiles
Digital presenceWugen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wugen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Wugen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors16 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wugen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wugen
What does Wugen do?
Wugen is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapies for cancer treatment. Its lead candidate, Soficabtagene Geleucel (Sofi-cel / WU-CART-007), is an allogeneic CD7-targeted CAR-T therapy for relapsed/refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-ALL/LBL), and WU-NK-101 is an allogeneic memory natural killer cell therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and solid tumors. The therapies are enabled by Wugen's proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and the Moneta feeder cell-free manufacturing platform.
Is Wugen a public or private company?
Wugen is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Wugen founded?
Wugen was founded in 2018. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Wugen based?
Wugen is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Wugen make money?
One revenue line is on record: cell Therapy Development and Commercialization.
Who are Wugen's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Allogene Therapeutics, Fate Therapeutics, Caribou Biosciences, Precision Biosciences, Nkarta, Cellectis and Century Therapeutics. Broad incumbents are CRISPR Therapeutics and Editas Medicine. Adaptimmune is listed as a regional player.
Does Wugen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wugen.
What industry is Wugen in?
Wugen's product category is Cell Therapy / Oncology Biotechnology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAABAC, CAR-T & TCR-T Therapies, with a secondary code of HLAAABAB, Cell Therapy Developers (Allogeneic/Off-the-shelf). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 2836.