Uppsala, October 12, 2026 - Elicera Therapeutics AB (publ) today announces that the Phase I part of the CARMA study has been completed. The study is evaluating the safety and preliminary efficacy of escalating doses of ELC-301, Elicera's iTANK-armed CAR T-cell therapy, in patients with B-cell lymphoma who have no remaining curative treatment options. Eight of twelve patients achieved complete metabolic response (CMR), meaning no active disease, as their best response during the follow-up. Objective tumor response, i.e. a reduction in tumor burden, was observed in eleven patients. Six patients remained in CMR at their most recent assessment.
"Completing the dose-escalation part of the CARMA study is a major milestone for Elicera. What stands out isn't just the high proportion of responding patients, but also the depth and durability of those responses in a population that had run out of viable treatment options. This includes patients who had relapsed after completed CAR T-cell therapy. Some patients in the study have now maintained their response for well over a year, which is an early but meaningful signal of durability. This strengthens our confidence in the potential of ELC-301 and the iTANK platform. We are now preparing for a full analysis of all the collected data from the Phase I part of the study, and patient recruitment to the Phase IIa part of the study, where we look forward to building further on these encouraging results," says Johan Liwing, CEO of Elicera Therapeutics.
"We're encouraged to see responses and a safety profile that support continuing the clinical development of ELC-301. Every signal of efficacy matters enormously in this setting. The patients enrolled in this trial have no remaining curative treatment options and, given their disease stage, would typically face a very limited life expectancy. That these early results have been achieved in such a difficult-to-treat population makes them particularly meaningful as we now move into Phase IIa," comments Gunilla Enblad, professor at the Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, senior consultant in oncology at Uppsala University Hospital, and clinical principal investigator for the CARMA study.
Key highlights from the Phase I part of the CARMA study
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.
The CARMA study is a clinical Phase I/IIa study evaluating the safety, optimal dosing, and preliminary efficacy of ELC-301 in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma who have undergone at least two previous lines of standard treatment and have no remaining curative treatment options. The study includes a dose-escalation phase (Phase I) with twelve patients across three cohorts to identify the maximum tolerated dose, followed by further evaluation of six patients in an expansion phase (Phase IIa).
The Swedish Medical Products Agency (Läkemedelsverket) has recently approved a substantial modification to the clinical trial authorization for the CARMA study, permitting the study to proceed into its Phase IIa part. Patient recruitment is expected to begin in Q4 2026.
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 person set out below, at 13:05 CET on October 12, 2026