- The potential of STAR-LLD to improve lenalidomide's therapeutic index suggests an opportunity for use in combination with CAR-T cell therapies.
- As described in the patent application, STAR-LLD's improved therapeutic index appears to support sustained immunologic activity and T cell fitness, without the systemic toxicity associated with conventional oral IMiDs and degraders.
PARAMUS, N.J., March 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Starton Therapeutics Inc. (“Starton”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company employing standard-of-care therapies with proprietary continuous delivery technologies, announced today that it has filed patent applications covering the delivery of Starton's proprietary continuous low-dose immunomodulatory imides (IMiDs) in combination with CAR-T cell therapies, which has the potential to enhance CAR-T activity and durability.
“We are delighted to announce the filing of these provisional patent applications that incorporate both in vivo and ex vivo CAR-T cell therapies in combination with our proprietary subcutaneous formulation,” said Pedro Lichtinger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Starton. “We believe this combination has the potential to improve CAR-T cell expansion and persistence while minimizing the concomitant toxicity of the IMiD.”
About STAR-LLD
STAR-LLD is a continuous delivery lenalidomide (LLD) in development seeking to expand and replace the standard-of-care for the most common blood cancers, multiple myeloma (MM), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). A preclinical proof-of-concept study for subcutaneous STAR-LLD demonstrated that MM tumors caused by human myeloma cells grew 25-fold if untreated, five-fold when treated with daily lenalidomide, and shrank by 80% with STAR-LLD over a single 28-day cycle. The study also showed a 100% overall response rate (ORR) using continuous delivery LLD with 20% of animals in this cohort tumor-free after 100 days; by contrast, there was a 0% ORR in animals treated with a 70% higher dose of lenalidomide given in single daily doses. In addition, a Phase 1b clinical study of six relapsed/refractory MM patients resulted in all patients that received STAR-LLD achieving an objective response (1 CR and 5 PRs); no patients experienced drug-related anemia, neutropenia, leukopenia, or thrombocytopenia greater than grade 2 in up to 12 cycles of therapy. The Phase 1b clinical study concluded that continuous delivery of low dose lenalidomide (STAR-LLD) provides meaningful efficacy and improved tolerability with no grade > 2 drug-related hematologic toxicity.
About Starton Therapeutics
Starton Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology platform company focused on transforming standard-of-care therapies with proprietary continuous delivery technology, so people with cancer live better, for longer. Starton's proprietary technology is intended to increase the efficacy of approved drugs, make them more tolerable, and expand their potential use. To learn more, visit www.startontx.com.
Forward Looking Statements
All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release, including, without limitation, statements regarding our plans and objectives for future operations and expectations about current and future clinical trials, constitute “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions and known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results or events to differ materially from those included within the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and, except as required by law, Starton undertakes no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
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