IASO Bio Completes Acquisition of Singapore's MediSix Therapeutics to Expand Cell Therapy Platform

China-based IASO Biotechnology (IASO Bio) has completed its acquisition of MediSix Therapeutics, a Singapore-based immune cell engineering and cell therapy company, the company announced August 13, 2026.¹ IASO Bio said the deal integrates MediSix's T-cell engineering platform, R&D pipeline, and international talent team with its own cell therapy, manufacturing, and commercialization capabilities as part of its globalization strategy.¹

"This acquisition represents a major milestone in the company's globalization strategy," said Zhang Jinhua, founder, chairwoman, and CEO of IASO Bio, in a company press release.¹ "MediSix has an outstanding scientific team and a differentiated PEBL [protein expression blocker] technology platform with unique advantages in T-cell malignancies and AML [acute myeloid leukemia] that strongly complement IASO Bio's existing pipeline."

What technology and pipeline does MediSix bring to IASO Bio?

MediSix was founded in 2016 and is based on the research of Dario Campana, MD, PhD, a translational immunology expert at the National University of Singapore and a pioneer of 4-1BB (CD137) co-stimulatory domain chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology.¹ The company's proprietary protein expression blocker (PEBL) platform is designed to block the expression of target proteins on cell surfaces, reducing fratricide among CAR-T cells and enabling the targeting of antigens shared between T cells and target cells.¹

MediSix's lead program, IASO107 (formerly PCART7), is in clinical evaluation with international research hospitals and has shown early efficacy and safety signals.¹ MediSix had been backed by institutional investors including ClavystBio, Lightstone Ventures, Osage University Partners, and EDBI, the investment arm of Singapore's EDB and Enterprise Singapore.

How does this fit into IASO Bio's broader strategy?

IASO Bio's pipeline includes 10 marketed and investigational products, led by equecabtagene autoleucel, a CAR-T therapy the company co-developed with Innovent Biologics.² Equecabtagene autoleucel became the world's first fully human B-cell maturation antigen-directed CAR-T therapy approved in China, receiving National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approval in 2023 for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma in patients who progressed after at least three prior lines of therapy.²

IASO Bio is also developing the therapy for earlier-line multiple myeloma treatment and for autoimmune diseases including myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.¹ Its remaining 9 investigational products include 3 autologous CAR-T cell therapies, 5 in vivo CAR-T cell therapies, and 1 antibody drug candidate, and the company has existing collaborations with Innovent Biologics, Sana Therapeutics, Cabaletta Bio, and Umoja Biopharma.¹

What did MediSix's leadership say about the deal?

"IASO Bio brings a proven full-process platform, deep CMC [chemistry, manufacturing, and controls] and clinical development expertise, and a demonstrated track record of advancing a CAR-T therapy from the laboratory to commercial approval," said Mike Carusi, chairman of MediSix and managing partner of Lightstone Ventures, in the company release.¹

Khoo Shih, PhD, CEO of ClavystBio, one of MediSix's investors, said in the release that the companies' strengths are highly complementary, with strong cross-border synergies.¹

What are the limitations?

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. MediSix's lead program, IASO107, remains in early clinical evaluation, and no specific efficacy or safety data beyond general "promising" signals have been made public.

References

1. IASO Biotechnology. IASO Biotechnology announces acquisition of Singapore-based cell therapy company MediSix Therapeutics. Press release. Published August 13, 2026. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://www.iasobio.com/info.php?id=311
2. IASO Biotechnology. IASO Bio and Innovent announce the NMPA approval of the new drug application for equecabtagene autoleucel, the world's first fully-human BCMA CAR-T therapy, for the treatment of relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma. Press release. Published July 3, 2023. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://www.iasobio.com/info.php?id=224