On April 20, 2026 Deck Bio, a biotechnology company advancing multi-pMHC targeted T cell engagers for solid tumors, reported new preclinical data for its lead program, DBXO-1, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026, which is being held April 17–22 in San Diego, California. The data were included in a poster titled "Preclinical characterization of DBXO-1, a multi-pMHC targeted bispecific T cell engager for major solid tumors."
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The data highlight Deck Bio’s strategy to overcome key limitations of T cell engagers in solid tumors, including low antigen density, tumor heterogeneity, and the scarcity of tumor-specific surface targets. DBXO-1 is designed to recognize multiple cancer-associated peptide–major histocompatibility complexes (pMHCs) using a single engineered T cell receptor (TCR)-based binder. By combining a proprietary TCR stabilization technology (dbTv) with a sequence-agnostic specificity profiling platform (dbSCOPE), DBXO-1 enables precise targeting of intracellular cancer antigens in a novel T cell engager format (dbTCE).
"The data presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) showcase the rationale and structural foundation that enables multi-pMHC targeting," said Johanna Kaufmann, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Deck Bio. "Leveraging our dbSCOPE technology, we prioritize specificity as a core design principle for DBXO-1, ensuring highly potent multi-target activity does not come at the expense of off-target toxicity."
Key Preclinical Findings from AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026
Engineered TCR-based binders demonstrated multi-target engagement with ~1–2 nM affinity across target pMHCs.
The structural recognition mode of DBXO-1 binders enables multi-pMHC targeting.
Deep specificity profiling using dbSCOPE (Deck Bio’s Sequence-agnostic Comprehensive Off-target Profiling Engine) to interrogate binding against 13,849 HLA-A*02:01-presented peptides from healthy tissues showed minimal off-target interactions and a specificity profile comparable to an approved pMHC-TCE.
Functional assays under stringent conditions demonstrated a favorable potency window, with greater than 1,000-fold EC50 selectivity for target versus off-target peptides.
DBXO-1 dbTCEs mediated T cell activation and potent target-dependent cytotoxicity, with EC50s comparable to an established pMHC-TCE.
DBXO-1 dbTCEs showed no alloreactivity with closely related HLA alleles, consistent with a highly specific recognition profile.
DBXO-1 dbTCEs, which contain the stabilized dbTv moiety, demonstrated extended half-life in human FcRn transgenic mice, with an estimated elimination half-life exceeding 7.5 days.
"These data support our thesis that a multi-target approach can expand the reach of T cell engagers in solid tumors while maintaining a high bar for specificity," said Jack Silberstein, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Deck Bio. "We are advancing DBXO-1 with a disciplined focus on safety, durability of response, and the potential to treat broader patient populations."
Deck Bio is continuing preclinical development of DBXO-1, including additional safety and efficacy studies. The company’s initial clinical development is expected to focus on biomarker-selected patient populations across major solid tumor indications, including non-small cell lung and gastroesophageal cancers, representing an estimated addressable patient population of approximately 120,000 biomarker-positive patients in the first-line metastatic setting across the U.S., Europe, the U.K., and Australia.
(Press release, Deck Bio, APR 20, 2026, View Source [SID1234664571])