Estrella Immunopharma has activated Baylor Scott & White Research Institute in Dallas, Texas, US, as the second site for its STARLIGHT-1 Phase I/II study of EB103 underway in patients with relapsed or refractory (r/r) B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).

EB103, a cluster of differentiation 19 (CD19)-redirected ARTEMIS T-cell therapy, is designed for use in adults aged 18 years and older who have r/r B-cell NHL.

The multi-centre, open-label trial is currently in its expansion phase, with the goal of further evaluating the safety and efficacy of EB103 at the recommended Phase II dose.

Information gathered from this cohort is intended to inform decisions regarding the pivotal trial strategy for the therapy.

Patient screening and enrolment has commenced at the new location. The trial is already active at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Estrella Immunopharma CEO Cheng Liu said: “Partnering with Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, a nationally recognised medical institution, represents a key step forward in broadening the reach of our STARLIGHT-1 trial.

“The expansion of our clinical footprint will help accelerate development and increase patient access to EB103, while we remain focused on our mission to deliver safer, more effective treatments for patients with advanced NHL.”

EB103 uses ARTEMIS technology, licensed from Estrella’s parent company Eureka Therapeutics.

The technology is said to distinguish itself from traditional chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T) cell approaches through a design that enables activation and regulation in a manner that more closely replicates endogenous T-cell receptor engagement.

Estrella Immunopharma is also developing the therapy, EB104, which targets both CD19 and CD22 proteins commonly associated with B-cell malignancies, using the same ARTEMIS platform as EB103.