EsoBiotec to Present Preclinical Proof-of-Concept Data for Its Off-the-Shelf ENaBL In Vivo Cell Therapy Platform at the 28th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy
Poster talk will present safety and efficacy data for ENaBL-T, a lentiviral vector for in vivo engineering of BCMA CAR T cells, which supported the first in vivo BCMA CAR-T cell therapy clinical trial for patients with relapse or refractory multiple myeloma
Company to deliver two additional poster presentations showcasing the development of novel T cell-specific synthetic promoters and a differentiated T cell targeting complex for safer and more effective in vivo CAR-T cell therapies
MONT-SAINT-GUIBERT, Belgium, April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EsoBiotec, a clinical stage biotechnology company pioneering in vivo cell therapies, today announced that it will present pre-clinical proof of concept data validating the company’s T cell targeting Engineered NanoBody Lentiviral (ENaBL) vector, ENaBL-T, for in vivo CAR-T cell therapies. Data from three approved abstracts will be presented as posters at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 28th Annual Meeting, taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana, from May 13-17, 2025.
“Our T cell-targeting ENaBL vector incorporates unique engineering features that we believe are key drivers of the encouraging early clinical activity observed in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma treated at the lowest dose of ESO-T01. Initial clinical data from this trial are expected to be released in the second half of 2025,” said EsoBiotec Chief Scientific Officer Philippe Parone, PhD. “At ASGCT, we will present the preclinical proof-of-concept data that supported the initiation of the first-in-human study of our ENaBL-based in vivo BCMA CAR-T candidate, along with the discovery efforts that led to the development of our proprietary vector targeting complex and synthetic T cell-specific promoter.”
Details of the presentations:
Poster Talk Title: ENaBL, a Novel Lentiviral Vector Platform for In Vivo Engineering of Therapeutic Anti-BCMA CAR T Cells, Shows Effective T Cell Transduction and Tumor Control in a Humanized Murine Model
Summary: Pre-clinical proof of concept data for the safety and efficacy of our lead candidate ENaBL-T BCMA CAR encoding vector, ESO-T01, in humanized mice. This data was used in support of the first in human testing of ESO-T01 initiated in November 2024 and demonstrates the potent in vivo reprogramming potential of ESO-T01 from a single injection of vector at a dose below 1E+06 TU.
Presentation Date/Time: May 13, 2025; 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (CT)
Presenting Speaker: Philippe Parone, PhD
Poster Number: 793, Poster Hall I2
Poster Presentation Title: Development of Novel T Cell-Specific Synthetic Promoters for Safer and More Effective In Vivo CAR-T Cell Therapies
Summary: Design, testing and selection of a T cell specific synthetic promoter tailored for the lentiviral expression cassette of ENaBL-T. Use of the synthetic promoter to regulate expression of BCMA CAR transgene increased CAR-T function, as well as vector production yield.
Presentation Date/Time: May 13, 2025; 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (CT)
Presenting Speaker: Bastien Doix, PhD
Location/Poster Number: 868, Poster Hall I2
Poster Presentation Title: Engineering T Cell-Specific Lentiviral Vectors for Safe and Effective In Vivo CAR-T Therapy
Summary: Discovery pre-clinical data supporting the selection of the targeting/transduction complex of ENaBL-T and the identification of new targeting deficient VSVG mutant (VSVGI331). Associating the envelope anchored TCRab single domain antibody binder with VSVGI331 mutant results in activation, expansion and specific transduction of resting T cells, maximizing the potential for in vivo reprogramming in the absence of pre-conditioning.
Presentation Date/Time: May 13, 2025; 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (CT)
Presenter: Bastien Doix, PhD
Location/Poster Number: 879, Poster Hall I2
“I am incredibly proud of our team’s achievement in developing the clinical ENaBL-T vector in such a short timeframe,” said EsoBiotec CEO Jean-Pierre Latere, PhD. “The clinical activity observed in our first-in-human study at the lowest dose of ESO-T01 in the absence of lymphodepletion brings the promise of off-the-shelf in vivo cell therapy to life. It offers a path to deliver transformative treatments to patients in need at a fraction of the cost of traditional cell therapies and opens new possibilities for the treatment of solid tumors and immune-mediated diseases.”
In January 2025, EsoBiotec announced the first patient being dosed in an investigator-initiated clinical trial in China of ESO-T01 for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. ESO-T01 is an immune shielded lentiviral vector that specifically reprograms T lymphocytes in vivo into highly effective BCMA CAR-T cells. In March 2025, EsoBiotec announced that it will become a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN), with operations in Belgium.
About ESO-T01
ESO-T01 is a third-generation replication-deficient self-inactivating lentiviral vector expressing a BCMA-targeted CAR construct under a T cell-specific synthetic promoter. It is immune shielded and resistant to phagocytosis. ESO-T01 is an “off-the-shelf” single dose treatment, directly administered systemically without the need for lymphodepletion.
About ENaBL Platform
EsoBiotec’s Engineered NanoBody Lentiviral (ENaBL) platform vectors are designed to specifically reprogram T cells and have demonstrated a high level of CAR T potency in animal studies. In large scale clinical manufacturing, the company has preserved vector specificity with high physical titer and high purity. EsoBiotec’s lead product candidate, ESO-T01, leverages the ENaBL platform to validate this novel technological approach using a clinically proven antigen.
About EsoBiotec
EsoBiotec is a leading in vivo cell therapy company with the mission to make these innovative treatments more accessible, effective and affordable. By engineering immune cells directly within the patient’s body, EsoBiotec is eliminating the barriers of traditional cell therapies and unlocking new possibilities for oncology and immune-mediated diseases. EsoBiotec investors include Thuja Capital, UCB Ventures, Invivo Partners, Wallonie Entreprendre (WE), SambrInvest and Investsud.
EsoBiotec’s proprietary ENaBL platform redefines adoptive cell therapy, enabling single IV, off-the-shelf treatments that reduce costs, improve patient experience, eliminate the need for immune cell depletion and have the potential to improve efficacy and safety through advanced lentiviral vector technology. The vector has modifications which deliver specificity to immune cells, such as T cells, and also enable the vector to evade rapid elimination by the patient’s immune system.
For more information on EsoBiotec, please visit www.esobiotec.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.
Contacts
Media Relations
Alexis Feinberg
ICR Healthcare
Alexis.Feinberg@icrhealthcare.com
(203) 939-2225
