Estrella Immunopharma Announces Late-Breaking Oral Presentation of Phase 1 STARLIGHT-1 Data for EB103 at the 2026 Tandem Meetings of ASTCT® & CIBMTR®

On February 3, 2026 Estrella Immunopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESLA) ("Estrella" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing CD19 and CD22-targeted ARTEMIS T-cell therapies to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported its STARLIGHT-1 phase I result will be orally presented at the 2026 ASTCT & CIBMTR Tandem Meetings (American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research).

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The presentation will highlight clinical data from the Company’s ongoing STARLIGHT-1 study evaluating EB103, a CD19-redirected ARTEMIS T-cell therapy, in patients with aggressive B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL).

Estrella’s late-breaking abstract will be available on February 4, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. CT, via the conference website at www.tandemmeetings.com.

Details of the Late-Breaking Oral Presentation:

Final Paper Number: LBA-1
Abstract ID & Title: 29644: Phase-1 Study of CD19-ARTEMIS T Cells (EB103) in Patients with Aggressive B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL)
Session: Late Breaking Abstracts
Session Date/Time: Saturday, February 7, 2026, 3:15 p.m. MST
Presenting Author: Naseem Esteghamat, MD MS
About EB103

EB103, a T-cell therapy, also referred to as Estrella’s "CD19-Redirected ARTEMIS T-Cell Therapy," utilizes ARTEMIS technology licensed from Eureka Therapeutics, Inc. ("Eureka"), Estrella’s parent company. Unlike a traditional CAR-T cell, the unique design of an ARTEMIS T-Cell, like EB103 T-cell, allows it to be activated and regulated upon engagement with cancer targets that use a cellular mechanism more closely resembling the one from an endogenous T-cell receptor. Once infused, EB103 T-cells seek out CD19-positive cancer cells, bind to these cells, and destroy them.

(Press release, Estrella Biopharma, FEB 3, 2026, View Source [SID1234662442])

Cycle Pharmaceuticals Completes Acquisition of Applied Therapeutics

On February 3, 2026 Cycle Group Holdings Limited ("Cycle") reported it has completed the acquisition of NASDAQ-listed Applied Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: APLT; "Applied"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company.

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Applied’s lead drug candidate, govorestat, is a novel central nervous system (CNS) penetrant Aldose Reductase Inhibitor (ARI) for the treatment of CNS rare metabolic diseases, including Classic Galactosemia, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Sorbitol Dehydrogenase Deficiency (CMT-SORD) and phosphomannomutase 2 congenital disorder of glycosylation (PMM2-CDG), for which there are currently no FDA approved treatment options available.

"Cycle was founded with a commitment to support patients living with rare metabolic diseases. From our beginnings with NITYR, we have grown to offer three therapies for this community. With Applied Therapeutics now a part of the Cycle group, we can look to expand further in this area. Our focus remains the same: to bring meaningful, reliable treatments to the patients and families who need them most." says James Harrison, CEO of Cycle.

The transaction is to be funded from cash on hand.

For Cycle, Goodwin Procter LLP acted as legal counsel. For Applied, Aquilo Partners, L.P. provided a fairness opinion, and Ropes & Gray LLP acted as legal counsel.

©2026 Cycle Pharmaceuticals Ltd. All rights reserved. NITYR is a registered trademark of Cycle Pharmaceuticals Ltd in the United States.

(Press release, Cycle Pharmaceuticals, FEB 3, 2026, View Source [SID1234662441])

Nucleai Enables Spatial Biology Research in Nature Communications Study on Lung Cancer Treatment Response

On February 3, 2026 Nucleai, a leader in AI-powered multimodal spatial biology, reported its contribution to a collaborative international study published in Nature Communications that explores how spatial organization and metabolic characteristics of tumor cells are associated with response and resistance to immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

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The study, led by academic researchers at The University of Queensland and Yale School of Medicine, applied multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) and computational approaches to analyze tumor tissue at single-cell resolution. By examining how different cell populations are organized within the tumor microenvironment and how they metabolize glucose, the researchers identified distinct spatial and metabolic patterns associated with immunotherapy outcomes.

As part of the collaboration, Nucleai’s AI-powered multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) analysis pipeline enabled accurate identification and classification of tumor and immune cell populations at scale, providing a consistent and reproducible foundation for downstream spatial and metabolic analyses conducted by the academic research teams.

"Understanding response to lung cancer treatment requires insight into the different cell states and cell-cell interactions within the tumor, not just which cells and markers are present," said Ettai Markovits, Director of Biomedical Research at Nucleai. "This study highlights the importance of spatial context in cancer biology, and we are pleased to have supported this work by enabling robust, AI-based spatial analysis applied to multiplex imaging data."

Immunotherapy has transformed the treatment landscape for lung cancer, yet only a subset of patients experience durable benefit. Findings from this study suggest that spatially defined metabolic features within tumors may help explain variability in treatment response, reinforcing the need for more nuanced approaches to characterizing tumor biology beyond traditional single-marker assessments.

This work builds on Nucleai’s broader multimodal spatial AI platform, which is designed to support scalable and rapid spatial profiling across large research cohorts. By transforming complex multiplex imaging data into structured, quantitative spatial insights, the platform supports collaborative efforts to advance precision oncology research.

"This study demonstrates the power of multiplex imaging data to shed light on nuanced spatial interactions linked to treatment response to immunotherapy," said Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe from UQ’s Frazer Institute. "However, translating this spatial complexity into clinical insights requires sophisticated computational analysis. Nucleai’s contributions helped connect high-dimensional spatial imaging with clinical outcomes more efficiently."

The research was conducted in collaboration with The University of Queensland’s Frazer Institute, Yale School of Medicine, Wesley Research Institute, Quanterix, and Nucleai, and is published in Nature Communications.

(Press release, University of Queensland, FEB 3, 2026, View Source [SID1234662440])

Guardant Health to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences

On February 3, 2026 Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH), a leading precision oncology company, reported the company will be participating in the following investor conferences.

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BTIG 13th Annual MedTech, Digital Health, Life Science & Diagnostic Tools Conference in Snowbird, UT
Hosting 1×1 meetings on Tuesday, February 10th
TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference in Boston, MA
Fireside chat on Wednesday, March 4th at 9:50 a.m. Eastern Time
Leerink Partners Global Health Conference in Miami, FL
Fireside chat on Tuesday, March 10th at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Barclays 28th Annual Global Healthcare Conference in Miami Beach, FL
Fireside chat on Wednesday, March 11th at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Interested parties may access live and archived webcasts of the sessions on the "Investors" section of the company website at: www.guardanthealth.com.

(Press release, Guardant Health, FEB 3, 2026, View Source [SID1234662439])

Biosion Announces First Patient Dosed in Investigator-Initiated Phase 1 Trial of BSI-082, a Next-Generation Anti-SIRPα Monoclonal Antibody for Advanced Solid Tumors

On February 3, 2026 Biosion, Inc. ("Biosion"), a global, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative antibody-based therapeutics, reported that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1a/1b Investigator-Initiated Trial (IIT) evaluating BSI-082, a highly differentiated, fully human anti-SIRPα monoclonal antibody. The study is sponsored by and being conducted at the Mays Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center and part of The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Health Science Center.

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This clinical milestone highlights the medical community’s strong interest in Biosion’s oncology assets and follows the company’s recent transformative partnership with Aclaris Therapeutics for its immunology portfolio.

Collaborating to Unlock Innate Immunity

BSI-082 is engineered to block the CD47-SIRPα "don’t eat me" signal, a critical checkpoint tumor cells use to evade macrophage phagocytosis. Unlike other candidates in the class, BSI-082 was designed using Biosion’s proprietary H³ Antibody Discovery Platform to overcome historical development challenges.

Key differentiators of BSI-082 include:

Broad Population Coverage: High-affinity binding to SIRPα variants V1, V2, and V8, covering >90% of the human population.
Superior Safety Profile: Engineered Fc domain minimizes binding to red blood cells (RBCs) and platelets, significantly reducing the risk of anemia and thrombocytopenia often seen with anti-CD47 therapies.
Preserved T-Cell Function: No binding to SIRPγ, ensuring that adaptive immune responses remain active and uninhibited.
"The initiation of this trial by a premier institution like the Mays Cancer Center serves as powerful validation of BSI-082’s scientific rationale and therapeutic potential," said Mingjiu Chen, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Biosion. "BSI-082’s unique profile—specifically its ability to potently block the ‘don’t eat me’ signal without compromising patient safety—positions it as an ideal combination partner for standard-of-care therapies, particularly antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). We are honored to support Dr. Sarantopoulos and his team in this study, which represents a key step in our strategy to maximize the value of our oncology assets through high-quality clinical partnerships."

Study Design and Strategic Combinations

The Phase 1a/1b study is an open-label, dose-escalation and dose-expansion trial designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor activity of BSI-082 in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors.

Phase 1a: Will establish the Recommended Dose for Expansion (RDE) of BSI-082 as a monotherapy.
Phase 1b: Will evaluate BSI-082 in combination with trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in patients with HER2-positive solid tumors. Preclinical data has demonstrated that SIRPα blockade can synergistically enhance the antitumor activity of ADCs by promoting antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP).
"Targeting the innate immune system via the SIRPα-CD47 axis offers a compelling therapeutic strategy for refractory tumors," said John Sarantopoulos, M.D., associate professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, medical oncologist, and principal investigator at the Mays Cancer Center. "We are excited to lead the clinical evaluation of BSI-082, whose design addresses key limitations of earlier generation agents. We look forward to exploring its potential to improve outcomes for patients, particularly in combination with ADCs."

(Press release, Biosion, FEB 3, 2026, View Source [SID1234662438])