T-Cell Therapy EB103 Demonstrates Safety in B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Findings from the phase 1 STARLIGHT-1 study (NCT06343311) show that EB103, an investigational T-cell therapy, may overcome the safety and durability limitations associated with conventional chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies in patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The data were presented at the 2026 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings (Tandem) in February.^1,2

Key takeaways include a 100% complete response (CR) rate in the high-dose cohort and a significant safety profile with no serious treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) reported to date. Notably, the therapy has demonstrated efficacy in high-risk patients ineligible for current commercial products, including those with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).

A significant clinical highlight from the study is the successful treatment of a patient with PCNSL, a highly aggressive subtype of NHL with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 30%. The achievement of a CR in this instance underscores the potential of EB103 to address extreme unmet medical needs.

“Being selected for an oral presentation at this year’s Tandem Meetings is a testament to the clinical potential of EB103,” said Naseem Esteghamat, MD, MS, principal investigator of STARLIGHT-1 and an assistant professor at the University of California, Davis, in a news release.¹ “What we’re seeing with EB103 is truly remarkable and very exciting for our patients. This is a heavily pretreated population with many high-risk features, yet they had impressive response to EB103 with very manageable toxicity. The clinical findings give us tremendous confidence as we continue to advance this potentially transformative therapy.”

Safety Profile and Patient Accessibility

One of the primary differentiators for EB103 is its safety profile, which facilitates access for broader patient populations that may be excluded from conventional CD19-directed treatments.

In STARLIGHT-1 (n = 9), there have been no reported serious TRAEs. Additionally, clinical investigators reported "very manageable toxicity," even within a high-risk patient cohort.

Most patients enrolled in the trial were considered ineligible for existing commercial CD19 products, positioning EB103 as a viable alternative for those with limited treatment options.

EB103 utilizes Eureka’s ARTEMIS technology, a platform designed to harness the human immune system more effectively than standard therapies. The ARTEMIS T cells are engineered to address the specific "safety barriers and durability limitations" of conventional CAR T-cell therapies.

The data presented at the 2026 Tandem Meetings position EB103 as a strong candidate for a best-in-class therapy in the NHL landscape.

“These data represent an important milestone for Estrella and underscore the potential of EB103 to address the significant unmet medical need in B-cell NHL,” Cheng Liu, PhD, CEO of Estrella Immunopharma, said in a news release.¹ “The unique design of ARTEMIS T cells aims to address the safety barriers and durability limitations of conventional CD19 CAR T therapies, potentially opening the door for broader patient populations and long-lasting disease control.”

REFERENCES

1. Estrella Immunopharma presents promising updated data on EB103 in oral presentation at the 2026 Tandem Meetings of ASTCT & CIBMTR. News release. February 9, 2026. Accessed February 19, 2026. https://tinyurl.com/muxxrxnu

2. Phase I study of CD19-ARTEMIS T cells (EB103) in patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Presented at: 2026 Transplantation and Cellular Therapies Tandem Meetings; Salt Lake City, UT; February 4-7, 2026. Abstract 299719.