PeproMene Bio Publishes Promising Results for BAFF-R CAR T-Cell Therapy

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 8, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- PeproMene Bio, a clinical-stage biotech company based in Irvine, California, has announced the publication of groundbreaking results from its Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating PMB-CT01, a BAFF-R-targeted CAR T-cell therapy, in The Lancet. The findings demonstrate deep and durable complete responses in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, including those who had failed conventional CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy.

The publication, titled "BAFF-R CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphomas," reports that seven out of nine treated patients (80%) achieved complete clinical responses. Notably, four of six patients who had progressed after CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy also achieved complete responses. All complete responses remained ongoing at the time of data cutoff, with no observed relapses, and the longest ongoing complete response had reached 35 months.

PMB-CT01 exhibited a remarkable safety profile, with all cytokine release syndrome (CRS) events and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) events limited to Grade 1. These results have prompted the expansion of the Phase 1 trial to multiple additional medical centers across the United States, with the first patient treated in the expansion phase achieving a complete response.

"Publishing these peer-reviewed data in The Lancet represents a significant recognition of this novel therapy," stated Larry W. Kwak, M.D., Ph.D., scientific founder of PeproMene Bio. "With no observed relapses, we believe PMB-CT01 is a paradigm-shifting CAR T-cell option for blood cancers which were previously thought to be incurable. Its elite safety may also enable outpatient administration, improving access for underserved patients, while opening doors for treating autoimmune diseases where B-cell depletion is already proven."

Stephen Forman, M.D., a co-author of the paper and director of the Hematologic Malignancies Institute at City of Hope, added, "These early results are encouraging, particularly for patients whose disease progressed after CD19 or CD20-directed T-cell therapy."

City of Hope, the cancer research and treatment organization where the initial trial took place, will continue to support the trial as the coordinating center and manufacturing site, along with patient enrollment. In December 2024, the Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation (IFLI) committed up to $11 million to support the clinical development of PMB-CT01 in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. "For patients whose lymphoma returns after CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy, a new target can mean a new chance. IFLI is proud to support PeproMene Bio in advancing BAFF-R CAR T-cell therapy and encouraged by these early, durable responses," said Mehrdad Mobasher, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Partner at IFLI.

PMB-CT01 is a first-in-class B-cell activating factor receptor (BAFF-R)-targeted autologous CAR T-cell therapy, being evaluated in ongoing Phase 1 trials for relapsed/refractory B-NHL and relapsed/refractory B-ALL. BAFF-R is expressed almost exclusively on B cells and is essential for B-cell survival, reducing the likelihood of antigen-loss escape. PeproMene Bio has licensed intellectual property relating to PMB-CT01 from City of Hope.