Obsidian Therapeutics to Present Groundbreaking Preclinical Data on cytoDRiVE® Platform at the 2025 ASGCT Annual Meeting
Obsidian Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering novel approaches to cell and gene therapy through synthetic biology, has announced the acceptance of a new abstract for presentation at the upcoming 2025 American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) Annual Meeting. The abstract highlights preclinical data showcasing the versatility and therapeutic potential of the company’s proprietary cytoDRiVE® platform, with findings to be presented as part of a scientific poster session.
Obsidian’s presentation at ASGCT represents a significant milestone in the development of its synthetic biology-based regulatory technologies. The company has steadily gained recognition within the biotech and gene therapy community for developing cytoDRiVE, a platform that enables precise, tunable control of protein expression in engineered cells using small-molecule drugs.
The data presented in abstract AMA30 demonstrate an expanded application of the cytoDRiVE platform, highlighting a novel mechanism for regulating gene expression using an artificial transcription factor system capable of ligand-inducible ON and OFF gene states. This new approach builds on cytoDRiVE’s existing capabilities, opening the door to broader therapeutic applications in both cell therapy and gene therapy settings.
Understanding cytoDRiVE®: A New Paradigm in Controlled Therapeutics
At its core, cytoDRiVE is an innovative synthetic biology system that enables externally controlled gene and protein expression through engineered drug-responsive domains (DRDs). These DRDs are genetically fused to therapeutic proteins, allowing their activity to be modulated in vivo by the administration or withdrawal of a safe, bioavailable small-molecule drug.
This approach gives researchers and clinicians dynamic, dose-dependent control over the timing and intensity of therapeutic protein expression, solving a long-standing problem in the field of gene and cell therapy: the lack of flexible and precise tools to manage transgene activity post-delivery.
In previous studies, Obsidian has successfully demonstrated the functionality of cytoDRiVE in regulating a range of therapeutic proteins. Most notably, the company’s lead clinical program OBX-115 leverages this technology to control membrane-bound IL15, a key cytokine that enhances the proliferation and survival of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). OBX-115 is currently in clinical development for the treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-resistant advanced melanoma, a patient population with high unmet medical need. The regulation of IL15 via cytoDRiVE is achieved using acetazolamide, a small-molecule drug with a favorable safety profile, allowing external modulation of the therapeutic response.
A Next-Generation Approach: Expanding the cytoDRiVE Toolbox
While previous implementations of cytoDRiVE focused primarily on direct fusions between DRDs and therapeutic proteins, the new data presented in abstract AMA30 describe a next-generation application of the platform. Instead of relying solely on protein-level fusions, Obsidian’s latest work introduces a ligand-inducible artificial transcription factor that can toggle gene expression ON or OFF in response to drug binding.
This transcriptional regulation approach represents a significant expansion of cytoDRiVE’s capabilities. It enables precise, reversible, and drug-controllable expression of genetic payloads — including secreted proteins, mRNAs, and siRNAs — that previously posed regulatory challenges due to their intracellular nature or immunogenic potential. These advancements are particularly relevant in the context of gene therapies, where transgene expression must be finely tuned to achieve efficacy while minimizing toxicity or immune responses.
By incorporating transcription factor-based control into the cytoDRiVE platform, Obsidian aims to provide a modular, scalable solution for gene and cell therapy developers seeking to enhance the safety and performance of their treatments.
Clinical Implications and Therapeutic Potential
The ability to externally modulate gene expression with small molecules has far-reaching implications for the treatment of complex diseases, particularly cancer, autoimmune conditions, and rare genetic disorders. In many cases, patients may require variable dosing over time, or may develop resistance or adverse effects in response to constant exposure to a therapeutic protein. With cytoDRiVE, clinicians could tailor the treatment regimen in real time, adjusting gene expression to the patient’s evolving clinical profile.
This level of control also enhances the developability and manufacturability of gene and cell therapies, which often face regulatory scrutiny due to the permanent or semi-permanent expression of transgenes. Being able to “switch off” a gene when necessary could improve safety and simplify clinical trial design, reducing barriers to adoption in both autologous and allogeneic treatment settings.
A Broader Vision: Engineering Smarter, Safer Therapies
Obsidian’s mission is to transform the field of cell and gene therapy by enabling unprecedented control over therapeutic payloads. The cytoDRiVE platform exemplifies this vision, offering a plug-and-play solution that can be applied across a wide variety of indications and therapeutic modalities.
In the case of OBX-115, cytoDRiVE has already demonstrated real-world clinical potential. The program remains in active development and has shown encouraging signs of efficacy in patients who have failed conventional immunotherapies. Obsidian anticipates that the insights gained from this program will inform the design of future candidates across oncology, immunology, and regenerative medicine.
With the new transcription factor-based control approach now added to the platform’s capabilities, Obsidian is poised to enter a new phase of innovation. The company believes that next-generation therapies will demand next-generation control systems, and is positioning cytoDRiVE as the enabling technology that can bring these treatments to life.
ASGCT 2025 and Beyond
The 2025 ASGCT Annual Meeting, which brings together leaders in gene editing, cell therapy, viral vector development, and translational medicine, offers an ideal venue for Obsidian to share its findings. The company’s poster presentation will provide attendees with new insights into the engineering and functionality of cytoDRiVE, as well as potential applications across the therapeutic spectrum.
As interest continues to grow in regulated gene expression platforms, Obsidian’s presence at ASGCT underscores its leadership in synthetic gene regulation and its commitment to advancing safer, more effective therapies. The abstract, available through the ASGCT conference portal, will be accompanied by a detailed poster and supporting data that explore both the mechanistic underpinnings and potential use cases of the newly described approach.
Obsidian remains focused on partnering with industry leaders to bring the cytoDRiVE platform to a broader range of applications, including engineered T cells, in vivo gene therapies, and precision immunomodulation.
