Elicera’s CAR-T clears detectable lymphoma in eight patients
Swedish biotech Elicera Therapeutics reported complete metabolic responses in eight of 12 patients treated with its experimental CAR-T therapy ELC-301 in the Phase 1 portion of its CARMA trial. Six remained in complete response at their latest assessment.
Why it matters: The patients had heavily pretreated B-cell lymphoma and no remaining curative treatment options. Three patients had relapsed after earlier CAR-T treatment. Two of those patients responded to ELC-301, including one who achieved a complete metabolic response.
By the numbers: Across the 12 patients:
- Eleven achieved an objective tumor response, a 92% response rate.
- Eight achieved a complete metabolic response, meaning scans showed no metabolically active disease.
- Two subsequently progressed.
- One patient maintained a complete metabolic response for at least 18 months; another for at least 12 months.
No dose-limiting toxicities were reported across the three dose groups. An independent safety committee recommended the highest tested dose for the next stage.
How it works: ELC-301 uses genetically modified T cells to recognize CD20 on cancer cells. Elicera’s iTANK technology additionally equips them to release a bacterial protein designed to recruit the patient’s own cancer-killing T cells, potentially broadening the attack beyond the CAR-T cells’ original target.
- The platform’s broader ambitions include tackling solid tumors, where variable target expression and an immune-suppressing tumor environment can undermine CAR-T treatment. That remains a separate challenge from the lymphoma results reported here.
Backstory: Founded in 2014 as Virex AB, Elicera grew out of research led by Magnus Essand at Uppsala University. Its early work focused on cancer-killing viruses, with its first clinical trial beginning in 2016. The company adopted the Elicera Therapeutics name in 2020 and listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market in June 2021.
What’s next: Elicera expects to begin recruiting six additional patients for the Phase 2a expansion in the fourth quarter of 2026. Swedish regulators authorized that step in September and the company is also preparing a full analysis of the Phase 1 data.
