CellOrigin Unveils Two Novel Solid-Tumor Cell Therapy Candidates at ASCO 2026, Partners with Walvax for In Vivo CAR Clinical Trial

HANGZHOU, China, July 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CellOrigin, a biotechnology company focused on next-generation in vivo and in vitro cell therapy technologies, has announced two major progresses in both research and strategic partnership.

At the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, CellOrigin's scientific co-founder's team presented two new studies on solid tumor cell therapy. The first, CAR-Mix™ multicellular synergistic therapy, combines engineered macrophages with polyclonal T cells and has demonstrated synergistic antitumor activity in a mesothelin-positive ovarian cancer preclinical model, offering a potential polytypic immune cell approach to overcoming antigen heterogeneity in solid tumors. An IIT clinical study based on this product has been launched, and the first patient was dosed in early 2026. The initial findings indicate a generally well-tolerated safety profile and promising signs of clinical activity. The second, TMT Engager™, an LNP-mRNA-based in vivo T-cell engager, enables in situ formation of T-cell–macrophage–tumor cell tripartite conjugates, a strategy designed to engage both innate and adaptive immunity against diverse tumor antigens — addressing a key limitation of current solid-tumor therapies, where tumor heterogeneity often leads to treatment resistance. This approach has demonstrated robust antitumor efficacy in preclinical models of both liver cancer and ovarian cancer.

In parallel, CellOrigin has entered into a co-development agreement with Walvax Biotechnology to jointly conduct an Investigator-Initiated Trial (IIT) for a hepatocellular carcinoma indication using mRNA-LNP-based in vivo GPC3-CAR therapy. This study is based on a preclinical study reported by the same team in the 2025 ASCO meeting. This partnership leverages CellOrigin's expertise in precision CAR design, early pharmacodynamic evaluation, clinical protocol development, and full-cycle IIT execution, alongside Walvax's industrial strengths in process quality systems, clinical-grade large-scale manufacturing, and product registration. By combining their respective technological and industrial capabilities, the two companies aim to accelerate the clinical translation of novel therapies for solid tumors.

Through sustained R&D investment, CellOrigin has established a comprehensive in vivo CAR technology platform addressing solid tumors, autoimmune diseases and organ fibrosis. Core capabilities include:

mRNA-LNP delivery technology enabling controlled organ and cell type-specific in vivo CAR expression that balances efficacy and safety;

Differentiated CAR molecule design tackling key challenges of solid tumors, such as precise lesion targeting, physical tumor barrier penetration, and promotion of polyclonal and memory T-cell formation for enhanced durability;

Full-chain translational capability, covering product design, preclinical efficacy and safety evaluation, clinical trial implementation, and regulatory filing.

CellOrigin continues to strengthen its leading position in the in vivo CAR therapy space for solid tumors. The company has built a proprietary platform portfolio—including iMAC™, CAR-Vac™, CAR-Mix™, and TMT Engager™—for immunocellular therapies targeting solid tumors, autoimmune diseases and organ fibrosis. Looking ahead, CellOrigin remains committed to scientific innovation and open collaboration, working with industry partners to advance frontier immunotherapies into the clinic and address unmet medical needs for patients.

For the first study (CAR-Mix):

ASCO 2026 Official URL: https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2026.44.16_suppl.e14543

For the second study (LNP-mRNA in vivo cell engager):

ASCO 2026 Official URL: https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2026.44.16_suppl.2547

SOURCE CellOrigin