Marker Therapeutics announced preliminary findings from its Phase 1 APOLLO study, showing that lymphodepletion, a pre-conditioning regimen, improves the expansion and persistence of its MAR-T cell therapy, MT-601. This therapy is being investigated for lymphoma patients who have relapsed after anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy or are ineligible for it. The enhanced expansion and persistence suggest improved anti-tumor activity, potentially leading to better clinical outcomes.
This development is particularly important for patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma, a patient population with limited treatment options after the failure of CAR-T therapy. The preliminary findings suggest that MT-601, coupled with lymphodepletion, may offer a new and potentially more effective therapeutic avenue for these patients. The enhanced persistence of MAR-T cells could lead to more durable responses, a crucial factor in cancer treatment.
The data, based on T cell receptor sequencing, demonstrates that MT-601 MAR-T cell clones expanded and persisted at significantly higher levels in patients who received lymphodepletion compared to those who did not. This observation aligns with previous studies using lymphodepletion with other T cell therapies like CAR-T and TIL, where improved clinical outcomes and enhanced T cell expansion and persistence were noted. Furthermore, MT-601 continues to demonstrate a favorable safety profile even with the inclusion of lymphodepletion. Patient enrollment in the APOLLO study has significantly increased in 2025, indicating growing interest and confidence in the therapy. The company plans to present a more comprehensive data readout from the APOLLO study later this year.
The preliminary positive results from the APOLLO trial combined with increased enrollment suggest a promising trajectory for MT-601. The data from the full readout will be crucial in validating the benefits of lymphodepletion and determining the ultimate clinical efficacy of this MAR-T cell therapy. This could potentially establish MT-601 as a valuable treatment option for lymphoma patients who have exhausted other avenues, particularly those who have relapsed after CAR-T cell therapy, addressing a significant unmet need in oncology.
Jon Napitupulu is Director of Media Relations at The Clinical Trial Vanguard. Jon, a computer data scientist, focuses on the latest clinical trial industry news and trends.
