Tikva Allocell to Present Data at ACR Convergence 2026 Supporting a Potential Lymphodepletion-Free CAR T-Cell Approach for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Oral presentation includes data demonstrating armored allogeneic CD19 CAR T cells elicited a nearly 20-fold greater expansion than unarmored cells and more sustained B-cell depletion in humanized mice

Separate SLE patient-derived mouse model showed depletion of B cells and plasma cells and reductions in circulating autoantibodies

SINGAPORE, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tikva Allocell Pte. Ltd. ("Tikva"), a biotechnology company developing off-the-shelf T-cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases, announced that preclinical research evaluating CD19.SB9.CAR-EBVST, its armored allogeneic CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, is being presented today in an oral presentation at ACR Convergence 2026, the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, in Orlando, Florida. The presentation highlights the potential of CD19.SB9.CAR-EBVST as a lymphodepletion-free approach for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

The research evaluated donor-derived Epstein-Barr virus-specific T cells (EBVSTs) engineered to express a CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and armored with SERPINB9 (SB9) to enhance resistance to immune rejection. In lymphodepletion-free preclinical models, SB9-armored cells demonstrated enhanced persistence and B-cell depletion compared with unarmored CAR-EBVSTs. In a separate mouse model incorporating immune cells from a patient with SLE, treatment depleted B cells and plasma cells and reduced circulating total immunoglobulin G (IgG) and anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) autoantibodies. The findings support further investigation of armored allogeneic CD19 CAR-EBVSTs for SLE.

The presentation, titled, "Preclinical Evaluation of a Lymphodepletion-free Approach for the Treatment of SLE Using an Armored Allogeneic CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor Expressing Epstein-Barr Virus Specific T cell Therapy," will be delivered by Marvin Chew, Ph.D., senior research scientist at Tikva Allocell, during the "Systemic Lupus Erythematosus – Translational Models and Mechanisms" session.

"These preclinical findings support the potential of SB9 armoring to help donor-derived CAR T cells persist and maintain B-cell depletion in the presence of host allogeneic pressure," said Dr. Chew. "We also observed depletion of B cells and plasma cells, together with reductions in anti-dsDNA autoantibodies, in a model using immune cells from a patient with SLE. These results provide a foundation for further evaluation of this approach as a potential lymphodepletion-free cell therapy for SLE."

"These data reinforce the potential of our CD19.SB9.CAR-EBVST program and mark an important step in extending our allogeneic CAR T-cell platform into autoimmune diseases," said Ivan Horak, MD, Founder and CEO of Tikva Allocell. "The enhanced persistence and sustained B-cell depletion observed in these models support our approach to addressing immune rejection and the need for lymphodepletion, which remain central challenges for allogeneic cell therapies. We believe an off-the-shelf therapy that could eliminate the need for lymphodepleting chemotherapy has the potential to broaden access to cell therapy for patients with SLE. We look forward to building on these findings as we advance our work toward accessible treatment options for patients with significant unmet needs."

Key findings being presented at ACR Convergence include:

• Enhanced expansion and sustained B-cell depletion: In mice humanized with CD34-positive hematopoietic stem cells, SB9-armored CD19 CAR-EBVSTs demonstrated nearly 20-fold greater expansion than unarmored CAR-EBVSTs. This was accompanied by more sustained B-cell depletion, with B-cell recovery following clearance of the CAR-EBVSTs.
  
  
• Activity in an SLE patient-derived model: In mice humanized with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a patient with SLE, SB9-armored CD19 CAR-EBVST treatment depleted B-cell and plasma-cell populations and reduced circulating total IgG and anti-dsDNA autoantibodies.
  
  
• B-cell depletion in patient-derived cell cultures: SB9-armored CD19 CAR-EBVSTs robustly depleted CD19-positive B cells when co-cultured with SLE patient PBMCs, whereas HLA-matched EBVSTs without a CAR did not.
  
  
• Resistance to host immune pressure: Armoring with SB9 and a constitutive IL-7 receptor (C7R) increased cell survival in the presence of host allogeneic immune pressure.

Tikva's platform uses allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus-specific T cells (EBVST) as the foundation for engineered cell therapies. The Company's SLE research expands the platform beyond oncology, including programs targeting solid tumors.

Presentation Details:

Title: Preclinical Evaluation of a Lymphodepletion-free Approach for the Treatment of SLE Using an Armored Allogeneic CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor Expressing Epstein-Barr Virus Specific T cell Therapy

Presenting Author: Marvin Chew, Ph.D.

Session: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - Translational Models and Mechanisms

Session Date & Time: Tuesday, November 10; 1:00pm-1:15pm ET

Abstract Number: 2851

About Tikva Allocell
Tikva Allocell Pte. Ltd., headquartered in Singapore, is a biotechnology company developing engineered, allogeneic (donor‑derived) cell therapies for solid tumors. The company's pipeline is built on the ALLO SerpinB9 EBVST platform—an allogeneic, virus‑specific T‑cell technology licensed exclusively from Baylor College of Medicine and enhanced through Tikva's proprietary protein‑engineering strategies. This platform integrates tumor‑targeting receptors such as B7‑H3 with an optimized form of SerpinB9 to help donor‑derived T cells resist granzyme‑B–mediated immune rejection, persist longer, and minimize graft‑versus‑host disease with minimal gene editing. The company's lead program, TAVST01, is an off‑the‑shelf, B7‑H3‑targeted EBV‑specific T‑cell therapy designed for patients with B7‑H3‑positive solid tumors, including lung, breast, prostate, pancreatic, and pediatric cancers. For more information, visit www.tikvaallocell.com.

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