WP-001

WP-001 is an armored chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy targeting Claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2), currently in preclinical development by Waypoint Bio for the treatment of solid tumors, including gastric, gastroesophageal junction (GEJ), and pancreatic cancers. Identified through Waypoint's proprietary in vivo spatial pooled screening platform, WP-001 was selected from over 250 CAR T designs for its superior performance in the solid tumor microenvironment (TME). The construct incorporates specific genetic "armors" designed to enhance tumor infiltration, increase persistence, and reduce the expression of exhaustion markers such as PD-1 and LAG-3. Preclinical data presented at AACR 2025 demonstrated that WP-001 outperforms standard unarmored and single-armored CLDN18.2 CAR T designs in multiple xenograft models, showing improved spatial single-cell phenotypes and anti-tumor efficacy.