Marker Therapeutics and Cellipont Bioservices Announce Collaboration to Advance cGMP Manufacturing of MT-601, a Multi-Antigen Recognizing T Cell Therapy for Patients with Lymphoma

On June 17, 2025 Marker Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRKR), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company focusing on developing next-generation T cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumor indications, reported a collaboration with Cellipont Bioservices, a leading cell therapy Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), for current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) manufacturing of MT-601, Marker’s lead Multi-Antigen Recognizing (MAR)-T cell therapy (Press release, Marker Therapeutics, JUN 17, 2025, View Source [SID1234653950]).

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MT-601 is currently being investigated in the Phase 1 APOLLO study in patients with lymphoma who relapsed after anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy or for whom anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy is not an option (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT05798897). Marker previously reported a favorable safety profile and objective responses in 7 out of 9 study participants (78%), with 4 participants demonstrating complete response (44.4%) as early as 4 weeks after infusion of MT-601 (Press Release, December 19, 2024).

Under the agreement, Cellipont will provide technology transfer and cGMP manufacturing services to support the scale-up and production of MT-601 for Marker’s APOLLO study. The collaboration between Marker and Cellipont is designed to accelerate clinical supply and lay the foundation for a potential pivotal trial and commercial readiness.

"This exciting collaboration with Cellipont is a critical step forward as we prepare for a potential pivotal trial of MT-601 in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who have relapsed after or are ineligible for anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy", commented Dr. Juan Vera, President and CEO of Marker Therapeutics. "The promising clinical data we have observed in the ongoing APOLLO study reinforce our commitment to advancing MT-601 to address an important area of unmet need. We sought a manufacturing partner with the capabilities to support not only mid-to-late-stage clinical development but also future commercial production, and we believe Cellipont is well positioned to support us as we advance our program through the next stages."

Cellipont provides end-to-end development and manufacturing services for advanced therapies, including CAR-T, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Its 76,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility in The Woodlands, Texas, features modular cleanrooms, integrated QC labs, and advanced closed processing systems designed to accelerate and scale high-quality cell therapy production. With deep scientific expertise and its integrated approach, we believe Cellipont can help advance therapies from early development to commercial readiness.

Darren Head, CEO of Cellipont Bioservices, stated "We are proud to support Marker Therapeutics in advancing MT-601, a compelling MAR-T cell therapy that is anticipated to address a major need in the cell therapy space. Our team is dedicated to enabling the success of next-generation immunotherapies, and Marker’s platform exemplifies the innovation and translational potential that defines the future of cancer treatment. This partnership reflects our shared focus on quality, agility, and impact for patients."

Lyell Immunopharma Announces Positive New Clinical Data Demonstrating High Rates of Durable Complete Responses from the Phase 1/2 Trial of LYL314 for the Treatment of Aggressive Large B-cell Lymphoma

On June 17, 2025 Lyell Immunopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: LYEL), a clinical-stage company advancing next-generation CAR T-cell therapies for patients with cancer, reported positive new clinical data from the multi-center Phase 1/2 trial of LYL314, including data from patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) treated in the third- or later-line (3L+) setting (Press release, Lyell Immunopharma, JUN 17, 2025, View Source [SID1234653949]). LYL314 is an autologous dual-targeting CD19/CD20 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell product candidate with Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) and Fast Track designations from the FDA that is in development for patients with relapsed and/or refractory (R/R) LBCL. In patients treated in the 3L+ setting (N = 25), LYL314 continued to demonstrate robust clinical responses, with an 88% overall response rate and a 72% complete response rate. Of the 3L+ patients who achieved a complete response, 71% remained in complete response at ≥ 6 months. The single-arm pivotal PiNACLE trial, a seamless expansion of the Phase 1/2 trial of patients with R/R LBCL being treated in the 3L+ setting, is underway.

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"Based on the LYL314 data to be presented at the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma and my personal experience treating patients in the clinical trial, I believe that LYL314 has the potential to provide differentiated benefit for patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma in both the complete response rate and durability of response," stated Akil Merchant, MD, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Lymphoma Program at the Samuel Oschin Cancer Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, and an investigator in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial. "We look forward to completing enrollment in the ongoing single-arm pivotal trial evaluating LYL314 in patients in the third- or later-line setting."

Fifty-one CAR T-naive patients with R/R LBCL received LYL314 as of April 15, 2025 (the data cutoff date for the presentation). The efficacy evaluable population consisted of 36 patients with Day 84 assessments or prior disease progression or death. Patient demographics and baseline disease characteristics were consistent with high-risk patient populations: median ages of 65 and 69 years in the 3L+ and 2L, respectively, 41% of 3L+ and 65% of 2L patients had Stage IV disease at trial entry, and 47% of 3L+ and 82% of 2L patients had primary refractory disease. There were 49 patients who received the recommended Phase 2 dose of 100 x 106 CAR T cells; two patients received a dose of 300 x 106 CAR T cells. CD19/CD20 screening was not required prior to enrollment.

In efficacy-evaluable 3L+ patients, with a median follow up of 9 months (N = 25):

The overall response rate was 88% (22/25 patients), with 72% (18/25) of patients achieving a complete response
71% (10/14) of patients with complete response remained in complete response at ≥ 6 months
In initial data from efficacy-evaluable 2L patients, with a median follow up of 5 months (N = 11):

The overall response rate was 91% (10/11 patients), with 64% (7/11) achieving a complete response
100% (7/7) of patients with complete response were in complete response at last assessment, including 3/3 at ≥ 6 months
In patients with primary refractory disease, a difficult to treat population, 70% (7/10) achieved a complete response
These patients had high-risk features, including primary refractory disease (91%), stage IV disease (64%), and older age (27% > 75 years; median age 73 years)
In 51 patients, including patients from both the 3L+ and the 2L cohorts, a manageable safety profile appropriate for outpatient administration was observed. No Grade ≥ 3 and low rates of Grade 1 (22%) or Grade 2 (35%) cytokine release syndrome (CRS) were reported. Immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) was reported in 6% (Grade 1), 2% (Grade 2), and 14% (Grade ≥ 3) of patients. The median time to complete resolution of all reports of ICANS was 5 days, with rapid improvement (median of 2 days) to Grade 2 or lower with standard therapy. No deaths were related to LYL314 administration. LYL314 demonstrated robust expansion with ​a time to peak of 10 days (N = 51).​ The final drug product contained the desired CD62L-positive naïve T-cell phenotype (median, 95%). Rapid and durable depletion of B cells was demonstrated through month 6 and up to the month 12 assessment using a highly sensitive and robust method.

"Based on these robust data, and our recent End-of-Phase 1 meeting with the FDA, we have initiated PiNACLE, a single-arm pivotal trial of LYL314 in patients with large B-cell lymphoma in the third- or later-line setting and remain on track to initiate a pivotal trial to evaluate LYL314 in the second-line setting by the beginning of 2026," said Lynn Seely, MD, Lyell’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

The data will be presented on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in an oral session at the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma in Lugano, Switzerland by Akil Merchant, MD, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Lymphoma Program at the Samuel Oschin Cancer Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, and will be available as a presentation in the Investors’ section of the Company’s website.

Conference Call Details

Lyell’s management will host an investor conference call and webcast beginning at 8:00 AM ET today. The Webcast registration link can be accessed here.

A replay of the event and presentation materials will be archived on the Investor page of the Lyell Website following the end of the event.

About LYL314

LYL314 (formerly IMPT-314) is a next-generation dual-targeting CD19/CD20 CAR T-cell product candidate designed to increase complete response rates and prolong the duration of the responses as compared to the approved CD19‑targeted CAR T-cell therapies for the treatment of large B-cell lymphoma.

LYL314 is designed with an ‘OR’ logic gate to target B cells that express either CD19, CD20 or both. LYL314 is manufactured to produce a CAR T-cell product with higher proportions of naïve and central memory T cells through a proprietary process that enriches for CD62L-expressing cells. This manufacturing process is designed to generate CAR T cells with enhanced antitumor activity.

LYL314 has received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation, as well as Fast Track Designation, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with relapsed and/or refractory aggressive B-cell lymphoma in the third- or later-line setting.

About the PiNACLE Trial

PiNACLE is a single-arm pivotal trial of LYL314, 100 x 106 CAR T cells, in patients with large B-cell lymphoma treated in the third- or later-line setting. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 120 patients with relapsed and/or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, high grade B-cell lymphoma, grade 3B follicular lymphoma, or transformed follicular lymphoma who have not previously received CAR T-cell therapy. Patients may be treated with LYL314 in either the inpatient or outpatient setting. The primary endpoint of the trial is the overall response rate. More information about the PiNACLE trial can be found on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05826535) here.

Immuneering Reports Positive Overall Survival Data for Atebimetinib (IMM-1-104) from Ongoing Phase 2a Trial in First-Line Pancreatic Cancer Patients

On June 17, 2025 Immuneering Corporation (Nasdaq: IMRX), a clinical-stage oncology company outpacing cancer to help patients outlive their disease, reported positive data from its ongoing Phase 2a clinical trial evaluating atebimetinib (IMM-1-104), an oral, once-daily novel MEK inhibitor, in combination with modified gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (mGnP) in first-line pancreatic cancer patients (Press release, Immuneering, JUN 17, 2025, View Source [SID1234653948]).

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"These exceptional data demonstrate the potential of atebimetinib plus mGnP to dramatically extend the lives of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer," said Ben Zeskind, Ph.D., Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Immuneering. "94% overall survival at 6 months is remarkable in first-line pancreatic cancer patients. Atebimetinib was designed to deliver exceptional durability and tolerability to a broad range of patients with different cancers, and it is deeply gratifying to see evidence of that playing out first in one of the most aggressive and deadly types of cancer. Our ultimate goal is to help cancer patients outlive their disease, and today’s announcement represents an important milestone on that journey."

Durability and Tolerability of Atebimetinib + mGnP Demonstrated in Phase 2a Data

94% overall survival (OS) was observed at 6 months in first-line (1L) pancreatic cancer patients treated with atebimetinib + mGnP at the 320 mg once-daily dose of atebimetinib (N=34). The benchmark 6-month OS for the standard of care treatment in this population (full dose and schedule GnP) is 67%.1 The median OS was not yet reached at the data cutoff date.
72% progression-free survival (PFS) was observed at 6 months in first-line (1L) pancreatic cancer patients treated with atebimetinib + mGnP at the 320 mg dose level (N=34). The benchmark 6-month PFS for the standard of care treatment in this population (full dose and schedule GnP) is 44%.1 The median PFS was not yet reached at the data cutoff date.
An overall response rate (ORR) of 39% and a disease control rate (DCR) of 81% were observed in response evaluable patients at both the 240 and 320 mg dose levels of atebimetinib + mGnP (N=36), including many patients with deepening, durable regressions and multiple examples of individual lesions rendered undetectable.
Atebimetinib continued to demonstrate a markedly favorable tolerability profile in combination with mGnP. No Grade 3+ events were observed in a majority of the adverse event categories commonly observed with standard of care chemotherapy in first line pancreatic cancer.
Based on these data, the Company has increased target enrollment in the 1L pancreatic cancer atebimetinib + mGnP combination arm to approximately 50 patients.
All results are reported using a data cutoff date of May 26, 2025.

"The encouraging clinical data reported thus far for atebimetinib (IMM-1-104) represent a potential new and significantly more durable treatment option for pancreatic cancer patients, for whom limited therapeutic options are currently available," said Vincent Chung, M.D., F.A.C.P., Professor, Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research at City of Hope, and principal investigator of the Phase 2a clinical trial. "I have treated pancreatic cancer patients with atebimetinib who have experienced exceptional durability. Current standard of care therapies in pancreatic cancer can be associated with limited durability and severe side effects, leading to poor patient outcomes. We have not seen significant improvement in standard of care for decades, and there is an urgent need for more durable and better tolerated new treatments that help patients live longer."

"These data clearly establish atebimetinib’s potential as a more durable and better tolerated MEK inhibitor positioned to help patients both live longer and live better, with exciting potential opportunities in pancreatic cancer and a variety of other cancers," said Igor Matushansky, M.D. Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Immuneering. "We look forward to advancing atebimetinib to a pivotal trial as rapidly as possible."

Dr. Chung is a paid advisory board member of Immuneering.

Near-Term Milestone Expectations

Building on these new Phase 2a clinical data, Immuneering is planning for several additional milestones related to atebimetinib, including:

Regulatory feedback on pivotal study plans in 4Q 2025
Data from additional patients in Phase 2a trial in 4Q 2025
Initiation of pivotal, randomized trial of atebimetinib in combination with mGnP in first-line pancreatic cancer in 2026
Initiation of additional atebimetinib clinical trial combination arms in 2026
Conference Call

Immuneering will host a conference call and live webcast at 8:00 a.m. ET / 5:00 a.m. PT on June 17, 2025, to discuss the data and provide a business update. Individuals interested in listening to the live conference call may do so by dialing (800) 715-9871 for U.S callers and (646) 307-1963 for other locations and reference conference ID 5641694, or from the webcast link in the "investors" section of the company’s website at www.immuneering.com. A webcast replay will be available in the investor relations section on the company’s website for 90 days following the completion of the call.

Invitation to Roche’s Virtual Hematology Investor Event

On June 17, 2025 Roche reported to have invited investors and analysts to participate in its virtual event on Monday, 23 June 2025, to highlight new results from Roche’s Hematology pipeline including Phase III (STARGLO) Columvi in R/R DLBCL 2-year data , first presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting from 30 May-3 June, 2025, Phase III (SUNMO) data for Lunsumio + Polivy in R/R DLBCL primary analysis, accepted as a late breaking abstract at the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML) from 17-21 June 2025, Phase III (POLARGO) data for Polivy in R/R DLBCL selected for Plenary presentation at both the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) Congress from 12-15 June 2025 and ICML as well as Phase I/II (NXTAGE) data for NXT007 in Hemophilia A presented at the Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) from 21-25 June 2025 (Press release, Hoffmann-La Roche, JUN 17, 2025, View Source [SID1234653947]).

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19:00 – 20:15 CEST / 18:00 – 19:15 BST
13:00 – 14:15 am EDT / 10:00 – 11:15 am PDT

The webinar will start with a presentation, followed by a Q&A session (live access to the speakers). The slides will be available for download at 18:00 CEST on the day of the event.

Clarity enters a Commercial Manufacturing Agreement for Cu-64 SAR-bisPSMA with SpectronRx

On June 17, 2025 Clarity Pharmaceuticals (ASX: CU6) ("Clarity" or "Company"), a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company with a mission to develop next-generation products that improve treatment outcomes for patients with cancer, reported that it has entered into a Commercial Manufacturing Agreement with SpectronRx for Clarity’s lead diagnostic product, 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA (Press release, Clarity Pharmaceuticals, JUN 17, 2025, View Source [SID1234653946]).

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SpectronRx’s facility in Indiana will provide on-demand commercial-scale manufacturing of both copper-64 and 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA under one roof and enable distribution to all 50 states. It is capable of producing up to 400,000 patient-ready doses of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA annually from the one facility. Together with other supply and manufacturing agreements Clarity has entered to date, this Agreement substantially bolsters reliable, universal access to 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA in the US for a commercial rollout upon successful completion of Clarity’s Phase III registrational trials with this product, CLARIFY1 and AMPLIFY2, and subsequent US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) New Drug Application (NDA) approval. The Commercial Supply Agreement with SpectronRx includes options to expand integrated 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA manufacturing to additional locations in the US, substantially increasing overall production capacity in the number of regional hubs throughout the US, providing a multi-layered and abundant supply approach, which is unique in the radiopharmaceutical space.

John Zehner, CEO of SpectronRx, highlighted the collaboration’s potential to transform patient care, stating, "Partnering with Clarity marks a significant step forward in expanding access to radiopharmaceuticals and improving healthcare outcomes in the United States. SpectronRx’s ability to reliably produce and distribute 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA further solidifies our position as a trusted manufacturing partner for radiopharmaceutical companies, ensuring timely access to essential diagnostic and therapeutic resources for patients and providers alike."

Clarity’s Executive Chairperson, Dr Alan Taylor, commented, "This Agreement, combined with other supply and manufacturing agreements for isotope and finished product we have secured to date, ensures that we are ready to roll out large-scale manufacturing and distribution of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA on day one of commercialisation. This will enable a seamless launch as soon as we have US FDA approval, allowing patients to get access to this next-generation diagnostic at any treatment facility in the US with a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

"We look forward to fully leveraging the benefits of copper-64 and its optimal half-life of 12.7 hours to overcome the logistical issues inherent to current-generation diagnostics due to their reliance on isotopes with far shorter half-lives, namely gallium-68 and fluorine-18 (half-lives of around 1 hour and 2 hours, respectively). These short half-lives translate into short shelf-lives, constraining availability of these agents to a restricted number of locations at specific times, which often do not align to the clinical needs of the sites or the patients’ needs. The gallium-68 supply chain requires large and continued capital investment to sustain a short shelf-life product network. The isotope is made on generators, with each generator only lasting approximately six months. Since most generators are manufactured outside of the US, they have potential exposure to tariffs. The fluorine-18 market for prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) competes directly with the 18F-FDG market for isotope sourcing, significantly impacting supply. These challenges with gallium-68 and fluorine-18 supply chains leave many cancer patients worldwide with limited access to radiodiagnostics and therefore affect their ability to receive timely, effective treatment.

"The production and purification of copper-64 is an easy, proven, streamlined process developed over 30 years ago3. Utilising this process, SpectronRx has built the copper-64 production in-house for large-scale commercial markets. Broad, on-demand distribution, enabled by a shelf-life of up to 48 hours, combined with ease of central manufacture and the ability to produce up to 400,000 patient-ready 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA doses annually under one roof from SpectronRx’s facility in Indiana, is a game-changer for the radiopharmaceutical field.

"We are already actively producing 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA for our clinical trials at SpectronRx. Given our positioning of this product as the next-generation PSMA diagnostic in the large market of prostate cancer, and our other imaging products generating exciting data and progressing through clinical development, the Commercial Supply Agreement considers options to expand manufacturing to similar sites in the US. By leveraging a proven, validated process and expanding to additional facilities, we can seamlessly move to larger commercial supply volumes to meet anticipated market demand. This option also allows us to fine-tune our commercial supply and distribution approach in the future as a multi-layered strategy, ensuring that we are able to fulfil the growing needs of clinicians and patients across the country on all levels: nationally, regionally and locally. We look forward to contributing to a change in the diagnostic paradigm for prostate cancer patients by providing a reliable, accessible and accurate diagnostic alternative to first-generation PSMA PET products."

This agreement builds on the Master Service Agreement and associated Supply Agreement for the copper-64 (Cu-64 or 64Cu) isotope with SpectronRx, as well as the Clinical Manufacturing Agreement for the production of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA for Clarity’s Phase III trials, CLARIFY and AMPLIFY.

The Commercial Supply Agreement is effective as of 17 June 2025 and is for an initial period of five years. Cancellation and extension provisions are aligned with industry standard rates.

Overview of Clarity’s SAR-bisPSMA clinical trial program
About SAR-bisPSMA
SAR-bisPSMA derives its name from the word "bis", which reflects a novel approach of connecting two PSMA-targeting agents to Clarity’s proprietary sarcophagine (SAR) technology that securely holds copper isotopes inside a cage-like structure, called a chelator. Unlike other commercially available chelators, the SAR technology prevents copper leakage into the body. SAR-bisPSMA is a Targeted Copper Theranostic (TCT) that can be used with isotopes of copper-64 (Cu-64 or 64Cu) for imaging and copper-67 (Cu-67 or 67Cu) for therapy.