On June 11, 2026 Caribou Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRBU), a leading clinical-stage CRISPR genome-editing biopharmaceutical company, reported that vispa-cel, its off-the-shelf CD19-targeted CAR-T cell therapy, produced durable long-term responses in patients enrolled in the ANTLER phase 1 clinical trial for relapsed or refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r B-NHL), with the potential to bring the benefit of cell therapy to patients who lack curative options. The results are being presented during an oral presentation at the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) Annual Meeting on June 12, 2026, at 5:15pm CEST, in Stockholm, Sweden.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"Vispa-cel is uniquely positioned as the only single-dose, off-the-shelf therapy to demonstrate deep and durable responses on par with autologous CAR-T cell therapies in second-line LBCL," said Rachel Haurwitz, PhD, Caribou’s president and CEO. "The long-term efficacy and safety outcomes we continue to observe reinforce the potential of vispa-cel, as a readily available CAR-T cell therapy, to overcome many of the logistical and access barriers that prevent the majority of second-line patients from receiving therapies with curative intent."

ANTLER phase 1 efficacy and safety data
As of the March 6, 2026, data cutoff date, 27 second-line (2L) large B cell lymphoma (LBCL) patients had received a single dose of 80 million optimized vispa-cel CAR-T cells, defined as cells from a donor younger than 30 years old and with at least 2 matched HLA alleles between patient and donor. This pivotal optimized vispa-cel subgroup best represents the treatment regimen and patient population for the planned ANTLER-3 phase 3 clinical trial.

Efficacy data from the pivotal optimized vispa-cel subgroup included:
•82% overall response rate (ORR)
•67% complete response (CR) rate
•17.1 months median progression-free survival (PFS)

Vispa-cel continues to demonstrate a generally well-tolerated safety profile. In the pivotal optimized vispa-cel subgroup (N=27), there were no reports of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) or grade 3 or higher (≥Gr 3) immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), and there was one (4%) ≥Gr 3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Other adverse events of special interest included six (22%) ≥Gr 3 infections, five (21%; 5/24) ≥Gr 3 prolonged cytopenias, and one (4%) ≥Gr 3 immune effector cell-associated HLH-like syndrome (IEC-HS). In the pivotal optimized vispa-cel subgroup, one vispa-cel-related death occurred due to IEC-HS and one possibly-related death occurred due to progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.

"These data demonstrate that vispa-cel’s durable responses may have similar curative potential as we see with approved autologous CAR-T cell therapies. As an allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy, vispa-cel could provide a much-needed treatment option for those patients who cannot receive autologous CAR-T cell therapy as second or later line of therapy," said presenting author, Stephen J. Schuster, MD, Louis-Dreyfus professor of CLL and lymphoma and director of lymphoma program and lymphoma translational research at the Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania. "Many patients don’t receive auto CAR-T cell therapy due to rapid disease progression, low blood T cell counts, or lack of access to these specialized therapies. Vispa-cel is well positioned to address these challenges as a readily available, off-the-shelf therapy that can be administered in the community setting."

As previously disclosed, Caribou has reached alignment with the FDA on the design of ANTLER-3, a randomized, controlled pivotal phase 3 clinical trial expected to enroll approximately 250 CD19-naïve 2L LBCL patients who are not eligible for transplant and not candidates or not eligible for autologous CAR-T cell therapy based on access challenges or medical criteria, including the need for urgent therapy. Patients in the investigational arm will receive a single dose of 80 million optimized vispa-cel CAR-T cells following lymphodepletion. Patients in the comparator arm will be treated with an investigator’s choice of standard-of-care regimen: polatuzumab vedotin (Pola), bendamustine (B), and rituximab (R) (Pola-BR); R, gemcitabine, and oxaliplatin (R-GemOx); Pola-R-GemOx (Pola-RGO); or tafasitamab and lenalidomide. Crossover to the vispa-cel arm is permitted after progressive disease. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS). The study is expected to be conducted at approximately 75 clinical trial sites globally, including academic and sophisticated community centers in the United States.

EHA oral presentation details
Title: Vispa-cel, an allogeneic anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy with a PD-1 knockout, in patients with relapsed/refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (ANTLER phase 1 clinical trial)
Presenter: Stephen J. Schuster, MD, Robert and Margarita Louis-Dreyfus professor of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma; department of medicine, hematology-oncology division; director, lymphoma program and lymphoma translational research; Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania
Date and time: Friday, June 12, 2026, at 5:15 – 6:30pm CEST
Session: Prospective lymphoma trials
Location: Nobel Hall
Abstract number: S236

About vispacabtagene regedleucel
Vispacabtagene regedleucel (vispa-cel; formerly known as CB-010) is an allogeneic anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy evaluated in patients with relapsed or refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r B-NHL). To Caribou’s knowledge, vispa-cel is the first allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy in the clinic with a PD-1 knockout, a genome-editing strategy designed to enhance CAR-T cell activity by limiting premature CAR-T cell exhaustion. The FDA granted vispa-cel Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT), Fast Track, and Orphan Drug designations for B-NHL.

About the ANTLER phase 1 clinical trial
The ANTLER phase 1 clinical trial evaluated vispa-cel in adult patients with r/r B-NHL in a multicenter, open-label trial. As of a March 6, 2026, data cutoff date, 85 patients were treated in the trial. Using a 3+3 enrollment strategy, safety and efficacy were assessed in 16 patients in dose escalation who received a single dose of 40, 80, or 120 million CAR-T cells preceded by a lymphodepletion (LD) regimen of cyclophosphamide at 60 mg/kg/day for 2 days followed by fludarabine at 25 mg/m2/day for 5 days. Eighty million CAR-T cells was selected as the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Sixty-three second-line large B cell lymphoma (2L LBCL) patients received a single dose of vispa-cel during dose expansion. Six patients were enrolled in a cohort of third-line or later LBCL patients with prior exposure to CD19-targeted therapy. Additional information on the ANTLER trial (NCT04637763) can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

(Press release, Caribou Biosciences, JUN 11, 2026, View Source [SID1234666562])

On June 11, 2026 Kyntra Bio (Nasdaq: KYNB) reported additional data from the Phase 3 MATTERHORN trial showing improvements in transfusion independence in patients with anemia associated with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) treated with roxadustat will be presented as a poster at the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) Congress 2026, taking place June 11-14, 2026 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"In addition to roxadustat demonstrating clinically meaningful efficacy in patients with lower-risk MDS and high transfusion burden, improvements in transfusion independence in both RS+ and RS- disease were also observed in this post-hoc analysis, which is an important finding given the limited effectiveness of currently available treatment options for patients with RS- disease," said Thane Wettig, Chief Executive Officer of Kyntra Bio. "These findings underscore the potential of roxadustat to elevate the standard of care for patients with lower-risk MDS who are in need of additional treatment options. We are finalizing the protocol for the pivotal Phase 3 trial, which we expect to initiate in the second half of 2026, with the aim to build upon and confirm these findings in patients with lower-risk MDS and high transfusion burden, including both RS+ and RS- disease."

"Through this novel MOA, stabilizing HIF1-⍺, thereby normalizing erythroid precursor development and improving hemoglobin production, these findings highlight the potential for roxadustat to address a significant unmet need, providing a convenient, well-tolerated and effective treatment option for anemia in patients with LR-MDS independent of RS histology," said Amer Zeidan, MD, Professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies at Yale Cancer Center. "This post-hoc analysis from the MATTERHORN trial shows clinically meaningful RBC transfusion independence among high transfusion burden patients, as well as clear evidence of hemoglobin increase among patients who received roxadustat compared to placebo. I am excited to be able to share this data with the MDS community at the EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper) meeting and believe they provide strong rationale for the planned randomized Phase 3 trial in anemic patients with LR-MDS and high RBC transfusion burden," concluded Dr. Zeidan, who is also the global principal investigator of the planned randomized Phase 3 trial.

As previously disclosed, the initial analysis with all of the patients who participated in the Phase 3 MATTERHORN trial showed that more patients receiving roxadustat achieved transfusion independence vs. placebo (48% vs. 33%; p=0.22). The presentation highlights data from a post hoc analysis of the entire trial population, demonstrating that roxadustat led to similar rates of transfusion independence in both RS+ and RS- patients. In RS- patients, which comprised 84 of the 140 patients enrolled in the trial, treatment with roxadustat led to transfusion independence for ≥8 weeks over 28 weeks in 48% of patients vs. 28% for placebo.

The presentation at EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper) also provides additional details on the subgroup of patients (n=37) who met the criteria of HTB (≥ 4 units pRBCs per 8-week period for 2 consecutive 8-week periods) per IWG-2018, where roxadustat achieved clinically meaningful efficacy in patients with LR-MDS and HTB with higher rates of ≥8-, 12-, 16-week RBC TI vs placebo. TEAEs were generally lower grade and managed medically with no new safety signals.

The poster presentation, titled "Roxadustat improves transfusion independence in LR-MDS patients with anemia and high transfusion burden and in ring sideroblast positive and negative disease: post-hoc analysis of MATTERHORN study" is scheduled for the poster session taking place on June 12, 2026 at 18:45 CEST.

The pivotal Phase 3 trial protocol of roxadustat for the treatment of anemia in patients with LR-MDS and high transfusion burden is being finalized based on feedback received from the FDA.

About Myelodysplastic Syndromes Anemia
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of disorders characterized by dysfunctional progenitor blood cells and stem cells, resulting in chronic anemia in most patients. Annual incidence rates of MDS are estimated to be 4.9/100,000 adults in the U.S., thereof 77% are considered lower-risk MDS. Approximately 80% of patients with MDS have anemia at the time of diagnosis, and around 60% of patients with MDS will experience severe anemia (hemoglobin <8 g/dL) at some point during the course of their disease. Anemia in patients with MDS is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular complications and the need for blood transfusion. Approximately 50% of patients with MDS require regular red blood cell transfusions. Transfusion dependent MDS patients suffer higher rates of cardiac events, infections, and iron overload with the related complications. In addition, anemia frequently leads to significant fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and decreased quality of life. Today, patients are routinely treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), luspatercept, imetelstat, or lenalidomide in lower-risk MDS with isolated del(5q), and hypomethylating agents (HMAs) in higher-risk disease. Only 35-40% of patients respond to current treatments and the durability of response is short. Moreover, these treatments are challenging to dose-calibrate and can only be administered via subcutaneous injection or through IV infusion. There remains a high unmet need for the treatment of anemia associated with MDS, and new strategies that provide durable response and the convenience of oral administration are highly desired in managing patients with MDS.

About Roxadustat
Roxadustat, an oral medication, is the first in a new class of medicines comprising HIF-PH inhibitors that promote erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production, through increased endogenous production of erythropoietin, improved iron absorption and mobilization, and downregulation of hepcidin.

Roxadustat is approved in Europe, Japan, and numerous other countries for the treatment of anemia of CKD in adult patients on dialysis (DD) and not on dialysis (NDD). Kyntra Bio has the sole rights to roxadustat in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and in all markets not held by AstraZeneca or licensed to Astellas. Astellas and Kyntra Bio are collaborating on the commercialization of roxadustat for the treatment of anemia in territories including Japan, Europe, Turkey, Russia, and the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Middle East, and South Africa.

(Press release, Kyntra Bio, JUN 11, 2026, View Source [SID1234666578])

On June 11, 2026 Immuneering Corporation (Nasdaq: IMRX), a late-stage clinical oncology company focused on keeping cancer patients alive and helping them thrive, reported that the first patient has been dosed in MAPKeeper 301, a global, randomized, open-label pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating atebimetinib plus modified gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (mGnP) in first-line metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. Atebimetinib is a novel MEK inhibitor with a pulsatile mechanism designed to target RAS, RAF, and other MAPK pathway-driven cancers with greater durability and tolerability than traditional chronic inhibitors.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"Pancreatic cancer remains a challenging malignancy to treat," said Eileen M. O’Reilly, MD, FASCO, Winthrop Rockefeller Endowed Chair in Medical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the lead principal investigator of the MAPKeeper 301 study. "There is an urgent need for new first-line treatment options that can improve treatment outcomes by augmenting survival and improving quality of life. The MAPKeeper 301 trial evaluating atebimetinib with standard of care therapy represents an exciting step toward addressing that need."

The global MAPKeeper 301 trial (NCT07562152) is evaluating the safety and efficacy of atebimetinib + mGnP in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who have received no prior systemic anti-cancer therapy. Patients are being randomized to receive either atebimetinib + mGnP, or standard GnP treatment alone. The primary endpoint is overall survival (OS) of patients in the atebimetinib + mGnP arm versus patients in the GnP arm. Key secondary endpoints include progression free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), safety and tolerability, and quality of life.

"The dosing of the first patient in our pivotal Phase 3 trial is a significant milestone for Immuneering and, more importantly, patients with pancreatic cancer and their families," said Ben Zeskind, PhD, CEO of Immuneering. "Global interest in MAPKeeper-301 has been overwhelming, largely driven by our highly encouraging survival and tolerability data presented earlier this year. We look forward to initiating more sites and dosing more patients as expeditiously as possible with topline data from the pivotal trial expected in mid-2028."

More information about the MAPKeeper 301 trial can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT07562152 or the MAPKeeper 301 clinical trial microsite at View Source

About Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC)
According to the National Health Institute, PDAC is the most common and highly lethal form of pancreatic cancer with nearly 68,000 new cases estimated for 2026 in the U.S. alone. Often diagnosed too late, PDAC currently carries a poor prognosis with a five-year survival rate of approximately 13%. Atebimetinib targets MEK in the MAPK pathway, from which 90% of PDAC cases grow and thrive, and is designed to shrink tumors durably with less resistance, optimize tolerability and counteract cachexia, enabling patients to live longer, stay strong and thrive.

(Press release, Immuneering, JUN 11, 2026, View Source [SID1234666594])

On June 11, 2026 Caribou Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRBU), a leading clinical-stage CRISPR genome-editing biopharmaceutical company, reported longer follow up data for the ongoing CaMMouflage phase 1 trial of CB-011, the Company’s off-the-shelf CAR-T cell therapy being evaluated for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (r/r MM). A single dose of CB-011 produced early, deep, and durable responses in a high-risk, heavily pretreated BCMA-naïve patient population. The Company also reported a case study of a patient previously treated with an approved autologous CAR-T cell therapy who achieved an early complete response after treatment with CB-011. These data are being presented during an oral presentation at the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, taking place June 14, 2026, at 11:00am CEST, in Stockholm, Sweden.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"Despite recent advances, only about 10% of multiple myeloma patients receive autologous CAR-T cell therapy, highlighting the urgent need for more accessible treatment options," said Binod Dhakal, MD, professor of medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin and investigator on the CaMMouflage trial. "The encouraging CB-011 clinical data demonstrate the potential of a single-dose, off-the-shelf CAR-T cell approach to deliver deep and durable responses, including MRD negativity, for heavily pretreated patients who often have limited treatment options."

CaMMouflage BCMA-naïve dose escalation data
As of the May 26, 2026, efficacy data cutoff date, 48 patients had been treated with CB-011 in the dose escalation portion of the CaMMouflage phase 1 trial. The recommended dose for expansion (RDE) is 450 million CB-011 CAR-T cells after lymphodepletion (LD) with 500 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide and 30 mg/m2 fludarabine daily for three days (selected LD regimen).

Twelve BCMA-naïve patients were treated with the RDE. Median follow up for this cohort is 17.7 months. Data continue to demonstrate that CB-011 drives deep, durable responses after a single dose. Details of the efficacy results for this cohort are as follows:
•92% overall response rate (ORR)
•83% complete response or stringent complete response (≥CR) rate
•91% minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity in 10/11 evaluable patients
•50% of patients in ≥CR at 15 months

As of the April 20, 2026, safety data cutoff date, CB-011 continued to show a manageable safety profile with no cases of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), immune effector cell-associated enterocolitis, parkinsonism, or cranial nerve palsies in any patient treated with CB-011 (N=48). In all patients treated with the selected LD regimen (N=35), there was one CB-011-related death due to immune effector cell-associated hematotoxicity and three unrelated deaths due to pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus, and respiratory acidosis, respectively. In the 12-patient BCMA-naive RDE cohort, there were no reports of grade 3 or higher (≥Gr 3) immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), and one (8%) ≥Gr 3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Other adverse events of special interest in the RDE cohort included three (25%) ≥Gr 3 infections, one (8%) ≥Gr 3 immune effector cell-associated HLH-like syndrome, and five (42%; 5/12) ≥Gr 3 prolonged cytopenias.

CaMMouflage patient case study after prior BCMA-targeted therapy
Caribou also reported a patient case study of a 71-year-old male with r/r MM who received eight prior lines of therapy, including ciltacabtagene autoleucel, an approved autologous CAR-T cell therapy. Before entering CaMMouflage, the patient never achieved a complete response following any of his post-front-line therapies. After receiving a single dose of 450 million CB-011 CAR-T cells (the RDE), the patient achieved a CR at day 28 that was maintained at month 3 and remained ongoing as of the May 26, 2026, efficacy data cutoff date.

The safety profile for this patient was manageable, with grade 1 CRS and grade 3/4 aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation. The patient had a history of intermittent ALT elevation prior to enrolling in CaMMouflage. Translational data showed robust CB-011 CAR-T cell expansion and a rapid decrease in serum free light chains that correlated with the patient achieving a CR.

"The durability and depth of response we continue to observe with CB-011 reinforce its potential as a single-dose, off-the-shelf approach that could meaningfully expand access to cellular therapies and change the treatment paradigm for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma," said Rachel Haurwitz, PhD, Caribou’s president and CEO. "Unlike currently available off-the-shelf treatment approaches that require ongoing administration, CB-011 has demonstrated delivery of deep and durable responses following single infusions, providing patients the potential for a treatment-free period. We are encouraged by the emerging translational and clinical data from both BCMA-naïve and BCMA-exposed patients and look forward to reporting initial dose expansion data in the second half of this year."

EHA oral presentation details
Title: CB-011, an allogeneic anti-BCMA CAR-T cell therapy with immune cloaking, for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (CaMMouflage phase 1 trial)
Presenter: Binod Dhakal, MD, professor of medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin
Date and time: Sunday, June 14, 2026, at 11:00am – 12:15pm CEST
Session: Immunotherapy in multiple myeloma
Location: Victoria Hall
Abstract number: S201

About CB-011
CB-011 is an allogeneic anti-BCMA CAR-T cell therapy being evaluated in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (r/r MM). To Caribou’s knowledge, CB-011 is the first allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy in the clinic that is engineered to enable activity through an immune cloaking strategy with a B2M knockout and insertion of a B2M–HLA-E-peptide fusion protein to blunt immune-mediated rejection. The FDA granted CB-011 RMAT, Fast Track, and Orphan Drug designations for r/r MM.

About the CaMMouflage phase 1 clinical trial
The CaMMouflage clinical trial is a multicenter, open-label phase 1 trial evaluating CB-011 in adults with r/r MM who have been treated with three or more prior lines of therapy. Using a 3+3 dose escalation design, safety and efficacy of CB-011 were evaluated in 48 patients at multiple dose levels and two different lymphodepletion (LD) regimens. Thirty-five patients were treated with a single dose of CB-011 (150 million [N=6], 300 million [N=13], 450 million [N=13], and 800 million [N=3] CAR-T cells) with an LD regimen of 500 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide and 30 mg/m2 fludarabine daily for three days. The dose expansion portion of the trial is evaluating safety and efficacy of 450 million CB-011 CAR-T cells with the selected LD of 500 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide and 30 mg/m2 fludarabine daily for three days. Additional information on the CaMMouflage trial (NCT05722418) can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

(Press release, Caribou Biosciences, JUN 11, 2026, View Source [SID1234666563])

On June 12, 2026 Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 4519) reported that it has filed a regulatory application with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for the anti-cancer agent/humanized anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody Tecentriq Intravenous Infusion 1200 mg [generic name: atezolizumab (genetical recombination)] for an additional indication as maintenance therapy following definitive chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"There is no established standard treatment for maintenance therapy following definitive chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer. In the SKYSCRAPER-07 study, Tecentriq monotherapy indicated a trend toward improvement in overall survival and progression-free survival compared with placebo. We will continue our efforts toward obtaining approval so that Tecentriq can be delivered to patients as a new therapeutic option as soon as possible," said Chugai’s President and CEO, Dr. Osamu Okuda.

This filing is based on the results from the global Phase III clinical study (SKYSCRAPER-07/ YO42137)1 in patients with unresectable, locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma whose disease has not progressed following definitive chemoradiotherapy. The study is a randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial comparing the efficacy and safety of maintenance therapy with Tecentriq in combination with tiragolumab (development discontinued) or Tecentriq monotherapy versus placebo. Based on the results from the first 2 and second interim analyses, it was confirmed that the Tecentriq monotherapy arm continued to show clinical benefit in the primary endpoint of overall survival (OS) and the secondary endpoint of investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). The results of the second interim analysis are planned to be presented at an upcoming medical congress. The safety profile was consistent with the known safety profile of Tecentriq, and no new safety signals were identified.

Chugai Pharmaceutical, a leading company in the oncology field, remains committed to addressing unmet medical needs in cancer treatment with innovative medicines, supporting patients and healthcare professionals.

About the SKYSCRAPER-07 (YO42137) study1
SKYSCRAPER-07 is a global Phase III randomized, double-blind, multicenter study in patients with unresectable, locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma whose disease has not progressed following definitive chemoradiotherapy. The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Tecentriq plus tiragolumab or Tecentriq monotherapy compared with placebo. Development of the Tecentriq plus tiragolumab combination was discontinued as no clinical benefit was observed in the primary PFS analysis and the first interim OS analysis (cutoff: February 18, 2025)2.

About maintenance therapy following definitive chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced esophageal cancer3
Esophageal cancer has an incidence rate in Japan (2021) of 34.7 per 100,000 population for men and 7.7 per 100,000 population for women. The number of deaths from esophageal cancer in 2024 was 10,638, and the 5-year relative survival rate (2009–2011) was 41.5%.
In Japan, squamous cell carcinoma is the most common histologic type. In unresectable, locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, there is no clearly established standard treatment for patients without disease progression after definitive chemoradiotherapy, and new treatment options are needed.

About Tecentriq4
Tecentriq is an immune checkpoint inhibitor designed to target PD-L1 (programmed death-ligand 1) expressed on tumor cells or tumor-infiltrating immune cells. PD-L1 binds to PD-1 and B7.1 receptors on T cells and suppresses T-cell function. By inhibiting this interaction, Tecentriq is considered to restore T-cell activity and promote immune response against tumor cells. In Japan, Tecentriq was launched in April 2018 and has obtained approval for 7 tumor types (extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, alveolar soft part sarcoma, extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma nasal type, and thymic carcinoma).

Trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

(Press release, Chugai, JUN 11, 2026, View Source;category= [SID1234666579])