TScan Therapeutics Restructures, Focuses on Blood Cancer Program Amid Solid Tumor Trial Halt

TScan Therapeutics, a biotechnology company specializing in T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies, has announced a significant restructuring of its operations and pipeline focus. The company is laying off 30% of its workforce and halting a phase 1 solid tumor trial to concentrate resources on its hematological malignancies program.

Strategic Pivot and Workforce Reduction

TScan revealed plans to discontinue enrollment in its phase 1 solid tumor trial for its multiplex TCR-engineered T-cell therapy. This decision comes after dosing the first two patients in the study. The company will maintain its interest in solid tumors through preclinical work on in vivo-engineered TCR-Ts.

As part of this strategic shift, TScan is reducing its workforce by 66 employees, representing 30% of its staff. This restructuring is expected to yield annualized cost savings of $45 million in 2026 and 2027, extending the company's cash runway from the first quarter of 2027 into the second half of that year.

Focus on Hematological Malignancies

TScan's primary focus will now be on its clinical-stage program for blood cancers. The company's lead TCR-engineered T-cell therapy, TSC-101, is currently being evaluated in a phase 1 study for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.

Following a recent "productive" end-of-phase 1 meeting with the FDA, TScan is preparing to launch a pivotal trial for TSC-101 in the second quarter of 2026. CEO Gavin MacBeath expressed encouragement about the FDA's feedback on the hematological program and the pivotal trial design for TSC-101.

Manufacturing Process Improvements

TScan has also announced improvements to its manufacturing process for TSC-101. The company attributed instances of relapse or prolonged incomplete chimerism in some patients to products with higher levels of T cell expansion during manufacturing. In response, TScan has updated its process to reduce manufacturing time from 17 to 12 days and decrease the required T-cell expansion.

MacBeath stated, "This results in substantially lower cost of goods and reduces the need for high levels of ex vivo T cell expansion that we believe may be associated with decreased T cell activity in patients."