Dispatch Bio, a biotechnology firm focused on creating universal treatments for solid tumors, has entered into a clinical collaboration with CARSgen Therapeutics Holdings Limited. This partnership aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Flare platform alongside CARsgen’s zevorcabtagene autoleucel (zevor-cel) in a clinical trial planned to commence in 2026 in China.
The collaboration, announced on January 12, 2026, involves a Phase 1 trial that will assess the investigational therapy DISP-11. This therapy utilizes Dispatch’s Flare platform, which includes DV-10, an innovative tumor-specific virus, combined with CARsgen’s zevor-cel, an autologous CAR T-cell therapy targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). Currently, zevor-cel is approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China for treating multiple myeloma.
Dr. Zonghai Li, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of CARsgen, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “CARsgen is working to transform outcomes for patients with solid tumors by advancing the potential of CAR T technologies. Dispatch’s Flare platform offers a differentiated and highly complementary approach to expanding where and how CAR T can be applied, particularly for solid tumors lacking specific targets.”
The trial will focus on patients diagnosed with solid tumors of epithelial origin, which represent approximately 90% of all solid tumors. These patients will first receive DV-10, followed by treatment with zevor-cel.
Sabah Oney, Chief Executive Officer of Dispatch, emphasized the significance of this collaboration in expanding the Flare platform’s impact. He noted, “This collaboration represents a step forward in a region with infrastructure for efficient and impactful oncology development and significant unmet medical need.” He further highlighted CARsgen’s established track record in rapid clinical advancement, making them an ideal partner for this initiative.
The Flare platform aims to address the challenges associated with immunotherapies for solid tumors, which have historically faced limitations due to the lack of tumor-specific targets and an immunosuppressive environment. By delivering a tumor-specific virus, the Flare platform enhances the ability of T cells to recognize and attack tumor cells while also modifying the tumor microenvironment to promote immune activity.
At the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2025 Annual Meeting, Dispatch presented preclinical findings on DV-10 in combination with a clinically validated BCMA-directed CAR T, showcasing promising safety and therapeutic potential.
Zevor-cel is a fully human, autologous BCMA CAR T-cell product that received NMPA approval on February 23, 2024. It is intended for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have undergone at least three prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent. The therapy has also received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) and Orphan Drug designations from the U.S. FDA in 2019.
Dispatch Bio, founded to create a world where all cancer patients can be cured, operates out of Philadelphia and San Francisco. The company is committed to advancing its innovative Flare platform, which combines the strengths of immunotherapy with engineered tumor-specific viruses to precisely target and eliminate tumor cells.
CARSgen Therapeutics is dedicated to developing innovative CAR T-cell therapies aimed at addressing unmet clinical needs across various cancer types. The company has built comprehensive capabilities encompassing target discovery, preclinical research, clinical development, and large-scale production, hoping to enhance the efficacy and safety profiles of existing CAR T-cell therapies.
As both companies embark on this promising collaboration, the potential for significant advancements in the treatment of solid tumors appears on the horizon, aiming to improve outcomes for patients globally.
