On April 7, 2026 Pluristyx, a leader in advanced induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based solutions, reported expansion of its intellectual property portfolio with a U.S. patent allowance for claims covering cells expressing autoimmune-associated self-antigens coupled with its exclusive induced Allogeneic Cell Tolerance (iACT Stealth) technology for "cell cloaking".

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The newly allowed patent claims are specifically drawn to the use of iACT in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. With this technology Pluristyx can combine a genetic engineering package integrating iACT Stealth with self-antigen technology, and "train" a patient’s own immune system. This innovative approach allows for a precise, desired immune response to a self-antigen without dangerous "off-target" effects or using traditional debilitating systemic immune suppression.

This patent marks a pivotal shift in the use of cell therapy beyond oncology. By pairing iACT Stealth cloaking with specific self-antigens, Pluristyx is enabling development of "tolerogenic" cell therapies. Unlike traditional methods that broadly suppress the immune system, leaving patients vulnerable to infections, this technology allows engineered cells to persist in the body and specifically retrain the immune system to stop attacking itself. This represents a new frontier in "living medicine," where engineered iPSC-derived cells act as a localized, intelligent platform for long-term autoimmune remission.

iACT Stealth is designed to work in tandem with Pluristyx’s FailSafe technology. FailSafe’s drug-inducible safety feature acts as a genetic "kill switch," allowing for the selective removal of any proliferating cells to ensure patient safety and is the only commercially-available safety switch technology.

"This addition to our patent portfolio furthers our commitment to advancing regenerative, living-medicine therapies, now in the autoimmune field," said Kaye Reiter, PhD, JD, Pluristyx Chief Legal Officer. "We continue to expand our exclusive intellectual property portfolio of combined iPSC, FailSafe, and iACT Stealth technologies that are setting the standard for functionality, safety, and scalability".

Pluristyx’s full suite of technologies, including iACT Stealth, FailSafe, and proprietary mRNA-based iPSC reprogramming technology, is available for immediate adoption through a streamlined research evaluation and commercial licensing model. This provides partners today with a powerful, clinical-grade foundation to bring tomorrow’s next-generation living medicines to market.

(Press release, Pluristyx, APR 7, 2026, View Source [SID1234664225])

On April 7, 2026 Nurix Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: NRIX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of targeted protein degradation medicines, reported that Arthur Sands, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Nurix, will participate in a fireside chat at the 25th Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference in April.

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Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference
Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Nurix
Monday, April 13, 2026, at 1:30 – 2:10 p.m. ET
The fireside chat will be webcast live and may be viewed via a link in the Investors section of the Nurix website. The archived webcast will be available for 30 days after the event.

(Press release, Nurix Therapeutics, APR 7, 2026, View Source [SID1234664210])

On April 7, 2026 Lyell Immunopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: LYEL), a late-stage clinical company advancing a pipeline of next-generation chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies for patients with cancer, reported that members of its senior management team will present and participate in the 25th Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 11:00 am Eastern Time.

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A live webcast of the presentation can be accessed through the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.lyell.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website following the presentation date.

(Press release, Lyell Immunopharma, APR 7, 2026, View Source [SID1234664226])

On April 7, 2026 Sona Nanotech Inc. (CSE: SONA, OTCQB: SNANF) (the "Company", "Sona") reported publication of a preclinical study using its Targeted Hyperthermia Therapy ("THT") to treat cancer, in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology which demonstrated treatment durability to the end of the 45 day study period when it was given in combination with immunotherapy. Building on its prior body of preclinical research treating melanoma and breast cancer (as published in Frontiers in Immunology), this study was conducted in an immunologically ‘cold’ colorectal cancer (CT26) tumor model. In this combination protocol, CT26 tumor-bearing animals were treated with two consecutive treatments of THT plus standard PD-1 inhibitor immunotherapy followed by three additional PD-1 treatments (the "Study"). Animals were followed for 45 days following initiation of treatment as per study protocol. At completion of the Study 38% of animals given the combined therapy were alive and disease free.

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Sona Nanotech CEO, David Regan commented, "We’ve all recently heard the shocking news that colon cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death for adults under 50. This timely preclinical evidence of strong immune activation in colon cancer using our THT/immunotherapy combination protocol reaffirms our confidence in pursuing Sona’s THT to spark immunity in typically immunotherapy resistant cancers. We are certainly proud of the quality of this peer-reviewed research and its acceptance in the highly respected Journal of Nanobiotechnology. This study, together with the safety and tolerability data from our recently completed, first-in-human study of THT as a monotherapy in melanoma, lays the foundation for our next trial that will combine our THT with immunotherapy."

Study principal investigator, lead author and Sona Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Carman Giacomantonio, commented, "We have focused our preclinical research on immunogenically cold cancers i.e. cancers that do not respond to today’s standard-of-care immunotherapy, to prove our hypothesis that Sona’s THT activates immunity. This is the third preclinical cancer-type in which we have confirmed our hypothesis, and our first publication delving deeply into the biology of our treatments. In this study, where no animals responded to a standard immunotherapy alone, 100% of animals in the THT treatment group responded to that same immunotherapy. This relates incredibly favorably to the less than ~15% success rate of immunotherapy when used to treat colorectal cancer in most humans due to low immunogenicity, giving us tremendous hope for its ability to change lives if translated successfully into a human therapy. Importantly, 38% (8 of 21) of those tumors completely cleared by day 24 following initiation of treatment and remained cancer-free to the end of the study. This is remarkably fast by any standard of measure, and these important findings will inform the protocol for our next clinical study."

(Press release, Sona Nanotech, APR 7, 2026, View Source [SID1234664211])

On April 7, 2026 Autolus Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: AUTL), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing, manufacturing and delivering next-generation programmed T cell therapies, reported that the Company will participate in two upcoming investor conferences.

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25th Annual Needham Virtual Healthcare Conference
Date and time: April 13, 2028; 10:15am EDT / 3:15pm BST
Presenter: Chief Executive Officer Dr. Christian Itin

A webcast of the presentation will be available on the "Events" page in the "Investor Relations & Media" section of the Company’s website at View Source A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Company’s website for 90 days following the presentation.

Van Lanschot Kempen Life Sciences Conference
Management to host investor meetings
Date: April 16, 2026
Location: Amsterdam

(Press release, Autolus, APR 7, 2026, View Source [SID1234664227])