We recognise, despite its early stage, the high quality in Elicera's iTANK platform and research, which aims to broaden and enhance the use of CAR-T therapies and serves as the foundation for its leading drug candidate, ELC-301, plus two preclinical platforms (ELC-201 and ELC 401). The company's cash runway extends into mid-2027e, providing sufficient funds for it to reach important readouts in the ongoing phase I/IIa CARMA study with ELC-301 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma - which, if positive, could be the foundation for the company to land a licensing agreement - two significant catalysts for the share.
Elicera's CAR-T drug candidates, ELC-301 and ELC-401, utilise the iTANK platform and offer an optimised version of the fourth-generation CAR T-cells. They have been genetically modified with a transgene that codes for a neutrophil-activating protein (NAP) rather than single cytokines, which is a strong immune stimulator. Today's CAR-T therapies focus on blood cancers, with no currently approved CAR-T therapies targeting a solid tumour.
Supportive Analysis
A pre-clinical study (Jin et al) published in 2022 evaluated the efficacy of Elicera's CAR(NAP) T -cells in murine models with subcutaneous pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, neuroblastomas, and colon carcinomas. The study found that CAR(NAP) T- cells slowed tumour growth and improved survival rates compared to with conventional mouse CAR- T cells, irrespective of the target antigen, tumour type, or mouse model. In tumours with heterogeneous antigen expression, NAP secretion was associated with the development of an immunologically hot tumour microenvironment, promoting dendritic cell maturation and bystander immune responses, as evidenced by epitope spreading and increased infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+ T- cells targeting tumour-associated antigens beyond the CAR-specific target. The study also noted that CAR T- cells with NAP did not increase off-tumour toxicity or compromise CAR- T cell efficacy, which the authors suggested indicates potential advantages for future clinical applications