# Kyverna Halts Development of Next-Generation CAR-T Therapy for Autoimmune Disease

Kyverna Therapeutics has stopped work on a next-generation CD19 CAR-T cell therapy that the company had previously promoted as a follow-up to its lead candidate, miv-cel. The biotech is now focusing on seeking U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for miv-cel, which could become the first CAR-T treatment approved for an autoimmune disease.

The decision to abandon the next-gen program marks a strategic shift for Kyverna. The company had once touted the experimental therapy as a potential successor to miv-cel, but has now halted all development activities on that candidate. No specific reasons for the discontinuation were provided in the announcement.

Kyverna’s remaining pipeline centers on miv-cel, a CD19-targeted CAR-T therapy being studied in autoimmune conditions. If approved, it would represent a major expansion of CAR-T technology beyond its current use in blood cancers.

**Why it matters:** CAR-T therapies have revolutionized the treatment of certain hematologic malignancies, but their application in autoimmune diseases remains experimental. Kyverna’s decision to concentrate resources on a single candidate highlights the high cost and regulatory complexity of bringing cell therapies into new therapeutic areas. A successful approval would open a new market for CAR-T developers and potentially benefit patients with hard-to-treat autoimmune disorders.

Source: [original report](https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/kyverna-abandons-next-gen-car-t-once-touted-follow-miv-cel)