Gothenburg, March 6, 2026 - Elicera Therapeutics AB (publ), a clinical stage cell and gene therapy company developing next generation cancer treatments based on oncolytic viruses and CAR T-cell therapies, armed with immune-activating properties via the company's commercially available iTANK platform, today provides an update on the ongoing Phase I/IIa CARMA study evaluating its lead CAR T-cell therapy candidate ELC-301 in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma. New data shows complete metabolic responses from the first two patients treated in cohort 3 (the highest dose level to date), as well as follow-up data from patients in cohorts 1 and 2. These results will be presented by the Company's Chief Scientific Officer, Professor Magnus Essand, during an invited scientific presentation today at the 10th Zurich Immuno-Oncology Conference 2026 in Zürich, Switzerland.
The CARMA study is a Phase I/IIa clinical trial assessing the safety, optimal dosing, and preliminary efficacy of ELC-301 in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma. It includes a dose-escalation phase (Phase I) across three cohorts to identify the maximum tolerated dose, followed by further evaluation in an expansion phase (Phase IIa).
Key highlights from the data:
- Both patients so far treated in cohort 3 achieved a complete metabolic response (CMR), meaning no detectable active disease/patients were disease-free - at the one-month follow-up assessment.
- No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed, and the treatment was well tolerated across cohorts.
- Across the 8 patients treated to date:
- Disease control rate: 100%.
- Overall response rate (ORR): 7/8.
- CMR at month 1: 6/8.
- Of the 6 patients with confirmed CMR at month 1, 4 had sustained CMR at their last recorded follow-up.
- The best responses have so far been confirmed lasting up to at least 12 months.
The early positive signals from the highest dose cohort adds to the previous updates showing CMR in four of six patients in the first two cohorts (lower dose levels), with a favorable safety profile and no DLTs observed to date. The CARMA study continues to progress as planned, recruitment now ongoing in cohort 3 (targeting six patients total). ELC-301 is an iTANK-armed CAR T-cell therapy designed to target the CD20 antigen on B-cells while leveraging the proprietary iTANK platform to stimulate a broader, parallel immune response against cancer cells.
Magnus Essand, CSO of Elicera Therapeutics, commented:
"The one-month data from the first two patients in the highest dose group cohort 3, showing complete metabolic response without any dose-limiting toxicities, represent another important step forward for ELC-301 and our iTANK platform. These results reinforce the potential of iTANK-armed CAR T-cells to deliver deep and durable responses in heavily pretreated B-cell lymphoma patients. We are excited to share the full update, including extended follow-up from earlier cohorts, at the Zurich Immuno-Oncology Conference and remain committed to advancing this promising therapy toward further clinical development."
This information is such information as Elicera Therapeutics AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 08:30 CET on March 3, 2026.
For further information, please contact:
Jamal El-Mosleh, CEO, Elicera Therapeutics AB (publ)
Phone: +46 (0) 703 31 90 51
jamal.elmosleh@elicera.com
Certified Advisor
DNB Carnegie Investment Bank (publ)
About the CARMA Study
CARMA is a phase I/IIa clinical study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the CAR T-cell therapy ELC-301 in the treatment of patients with B-cell lymphoma. The study is divided into a dose-escalation phase (phase I) and a dose-expansion phase (phase IIa). Phase I primarily aims to establish the optimal dose and safety profile in up to 12 patients, while phase IIa will further evaluate the efficacy of the maximum tolerated dose in an additional six patients. Phase I is planned to include three cohorts (dosing groups), with three patients in the first and second cohorts, and six patients in the third dcohort, who are expected to receive the maximum tolerated dose. The CARMA study is being conducted at Uppsala University Hospital and Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge.
About ELC-301
ELC-301 is a fourth-generation CAR T-cell therapy targeting the CD20 antigen, armed with the company's iTANK platform to activate a broader and more comprehensive parallel immune response against cancer. CAR T-cells are a form of cell therapy created by genetically modifying a patient's T-cells to express a synthetic receptor (chimeric antigen receptor, CAR). This receptor is specifically designed to target a single tumor antigen-a molecule visible on the surface of cancer cells-and enables the T-cells to locate, bind to, and destroy the cancer cells.
About the iTANK-platform
The iTANK technology platform has been developed for arming and enhancing CAR T-cells to meet two of the major challenges CAR T-cell therapies face in the treatment of solid tumors: a very diverse set of tumor antigen targets and a very hostile tumor microenvironment. The technology is used to incorporate a transgene into CAR T-cells encoding a neutrophil activating bacterial protein (NAP). NAP secreted from the CAR(NAP) T-cells has been shown to be able to enhance the function of CAR T-cells and importantly activating a parallel bystander immune response against the cancer via CD8+ killer T-cells. This is expected to lead to a broad attack against most antigen targets on cancer cells. The iTANK platform is used to enhance the company's own CAR T-cells but can also be universally applied to other CAR T-cell therapies under development. Proof-of-concept data was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering in April 2022. The publication, titled "CAR T cells expressing a bacterial virulence factor triggers potent bystander antitumor responses in solid cancers" (DOI number: 10.1038/s41551-022-00875-5) can be found here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-022-00875-5. More information about iTANK platform is available here: https://www.elicera.com/technology
About Elicera Therapeutics AB
Elicera Therapeutics AB (publ) has developed the patented gene technology platform iTANK that enables the arming of new and existing CAR T-cell therapies targeting aggressive and relapsing cancer forms. Elicera Therapeutics thereby addresses a well-defined and vast market. The company's CAR T-cell therapies have shown a potent effect toward solid tumors which are recognized as particularly difficult to treat and constitute the majority of cancer cases. The company addresses a global multibillion market in cell therapy through its offering of non-exclusive licensing of the iTANK-platform to companies in the pharmaceutical industry. Elicera Therapeutics has four internal development projects in immune therapy that separately have the potential to generate substantial value through exclusive out-licensing agreements. The company's share is traded on Nasdaq First North Growth Market. For additional information, visit www.elicera.com.
