NeoImmuneTech Announces Initiating First Patient Dosing in NIT-128 Trial Combining NT-I7 with BCMA CAR-T

Expands NT-I7–based CAR-T combination strategy into multiple myeloma Investigator-initiated trial led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, designed with dose-escalation and expansion stages for up to 52 patients August 27, 2026 — ROCKVILLE, MD : NeoImmuneTech, Inc. (“NIT” or “NeoImmuneTech”), a T-cell-focused immunotherapy company, today announced the initiation of first patient dosing in its Phase 1 clinical trial (NIT-128) evaluating NT-I7 (efineptakin alfa), a long-acting interleukin-7 (IL-7)-based T cell amplifier, in combination with Janssen’s BCMA-targeted CAR-T therapy, cilta-cel (Carvykti), in patients with multiple myeloma who have received prior standard-of-care treatment. The study is an investigator-initiated trial (IIT) led by Dr. Michael Slade at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, with Dr. John F. DiPersio participating as a collaborating investigator. The trial is funded by Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, where Drs. Slade and DiPersio treat patients and where the trial will take place. Dr. DiPersio, a professor of medicine at WashU Medicine, previously served as the principal investigator of NIT-112, an initial clinical study evaluating NT-I7 in combination with CD19 CAR-T therapy. Based on the findings observed in that study, he is also participating as a collaborating investigator in the expanded follow-up studies, NIT-126 and NIT-128. Dr. DiPersio is a globally recognized expert in hematologic malignancies and cellular therapies and was recently honored by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) for his contributions to blood cancer research. NIT-128 is a clinical study designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of NT-I7 administered in combination with BCMA CAR-T therapy on Days 14 and 35 following CAR-T infusion in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The study also aims to establish the optimal dose while assessing the potential of NT-I7 to enhance CAR-T cell expansion and persistence in patients. Through this study, the Company aims to expand the immunological findings observed in the CD19 CAR-T combination study (NIT-112) into the BCMA CAR-T setting, with the goal of more broadly evaluating the potential of NT-I7 to improve the durability of response and therapeutic efficacy of CAR-T therapies. Dr. Slade, the principal investigator of the study, stated, “Through this trial, we expect to clinically evaluate whether NT-I7 combination therapy can positively impact the expansion and persistence of cells following BCMA CAR-T treatment, similar to the immunological effects previously observed in combination with CD19 CAR-T therapy.” Tae Kyoung Kim, Chief Executive Officer of NeoImmuneTech, stated, “By advancing combination studies across the major CAR-T treatment settings targeting both CD19 and BCMA, we intend to continue strengthening the clinical foundation for NT-I7-based CAR-T combination strategies.” *** ENDS ***

The release as fetched from its publisher. neoimmunetech.com ↗