TScan axes 75% of workforce to make room for solid tumor programs

Brought to you by: Biotech TScan axes 75% of workforce to make room for solid tumor programs By Marissa Russo Sep 2, 2026 10:46am TScan Therapeutics in vivo biotech layoffs Cell & Gene Therapy TScan Therapeutics will reduce its workforce by 75% following the pause of its hematological and autoimmune programs. The company said Wednesday morning that it is instead prioritizing its preclinical solid tumor programs, while allowing for the phase 1 and phase 3 hematological trial data to mature. “We are pausing further development in the heme program as well as autoimmunity and are actively seeking partnerships with these programs,” TScan’s CEO Gavin MacBeath, Ph.D., said during a Sept.

2 webcast. “We believe that this strategy is the best strategy to move our products forward and bring the most value both to patients and to shareholders with this new reorganized company.” For the phase 3 trial specifically, the CEO cited insufficient capital as the reason for pausing enrollment. This news comes merely two weeks after the August 19 announcement that Amgen was abandoning its $500 million collaboration, initiated in 2023, with TScan for Crohn’s Disease.

At the time, TScan told Fierce that its pipeline strategy remained unchanged, while Amgen said the decision to break the deal was “following a strategic review of our portfolio and research priorities.” The solid tumor programs are focused on targeting abnormally expressed proteins in cancer, preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) and melanoma-associated antigen A4 (MAGE-A4). PRAME is expressed in over 90% of melanomas, while MAGE-A4 is prevalently expressed in non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian, and head and neck cancers, MacBeath explained. The company has decided to approach these cancers using an in vivo-engineered TCR-T cell therapy to solve manufacturing and cost issues associated with autologous TCRs.

Additionally, the in vivo TCR-T cells are being engineered using a lentivirus approach because it “enables permanent genetic integration of the gene of interest,” MacBeath said. “These cells can now continue to propagate in the patient and can form memory cells, driving long-term immune surveillance.” Related Amgen abandoning $500M+ Crohn’s collab won’t derail TScan’s pipeline strategy The Massachusetts-based biotech focuses on developing T-cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cells. Its lead hematological asset, TSC-101, targets the HA-2 antigen that sits on blood cells and is designed to treat residual disease and prevent relapse in patients undergoing bone marrow transplants.

The phase 1 Alloha trial was assessing the safety, efficacy and dose escalation of TSC-101 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) undergoing allogeneic transplantation. The company has seen durable remission and decreased relapsed rates in patients treated with TSC-101 compared to the control arm. Wednesday, TScan announced early data from another cohort of the phase 1 study, showing that 12 out of 14 patients did not relapse six months after treatment.

The company plans to pause this study and let these patients mature for at least one year in hopes to court a partnership to finish the trial. For the phase 3 trial, Alloha-2, which was initiated back in June 2026, the company will continue to treat and follow up with the seven enrolled patients. With the 75% workforce reduction, the company will be “saving $55 million from our anticipated runway,” MacBeath said during the webcast.

With the extra cash, he hopes to be able to have enough funding to initiate phase 1 trials with both in vivo TCR-T products. Just yesterday, ArsenalBio announced a majority reduction in workforce, of 99 employees, to pivot to in vivo CAR-T cell therapy. This layoff comes about a year after ArsenalBio halved its clinical staff to 127 workers.

TScan Therapeutics in vivo biotech layoffs Cell & Gene Therapy solid tumor job cuts Biotech