Aug 03, 2026 —
Estrella Immunopharma announced the activation of a third clinical site for STARLIGHT-1, its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating EB103, a CD19-redirected ARTEMIS® T-cell therapy, in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, or B-cell NHL.
The newly activated site is Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon, which has begun screening and enrolling patients. The site joins UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and Baylor Scott & White Research Institute as active clinical centers in the study.
STARLIGHT-1 is currently in the expansion phase, designed as a multicenter, open-label study evaluating the safety and efficacy of EB103 at the recommended Phase 2 dose. The study is enrolling adults aged 18 years and older with relapsed or refractory B-cell NHL.
Data from the expansion cohort will be used to help determine the pivotal trial strategy for EB103. The expansion phase follows earlier dose-escalation data from the study, which supported continued development of the therapy.
EB103 is a T-cell therapy also known as Estrella’s CD19-Redirected ARTEMIS® T-Cell Therapy. The therapy uses ARTEMIS technology licensed from Eureka Therapeutics, Estrella’s parent company.
Unlike traditional CAR-T cell therapy, ARTEMIS T cells are designed to be activated and regulated upon engagement with cancer targets through a mechanism that more closely resembles endogenous T-cell receptor signaling. Once infused, EB103 T cells are designed to bind to and destroy CD19-positive cancer cells.
CD19 is expressed on the surface of most B-cell leukemias and lymphomas, making it an established target in B-cell malignancies. Estrella is also developing EB104, another ARTEMIS-based therapy designed to target both CD19 and CD22, two proteins expressed on many B-cell malignancies.
The activation of a third clinical site reflects continued progress in the STARLIGHT-1 trial and may help accelerate enrollment as Estrella advances EB103 toward a potential pivotal development strategy.
The program highlights ongoing innovation in engineered cell therapy, where next-generation T-cell platforms are being developed to improve activity, regulation, and clinical outcomes for patients with relapsed or refractory hematologic cancers.
