New immune therapy shows promise for Tough-to-Treat lymphoma
NCT ID NCT06486051
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This phase 2 trial is testing a new CAR T-cell therapy called WZTL-002 for people with large B-cell lymphoma that has come back or not responded to standard treatment. The therapy uses a patient's own immune cells, modified to target and kill cancer cells. The study will measure how often the cancer disappears completely and how often serious brain side effects occur. 60 participants will receive the treatment and be followed for up to 2 years.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- WZTL-002 CAR T-cells (a type of immune cell therapy that targets CD19 on cancer cells)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a new treatment option for people with large B-cell lymphoma that hasn't responded to standard therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a phase 2 trial with only 60 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. There are known risks of serious side effects like brain toxicity and cytokine release syndrome.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2024
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age 18 to 75 years (inclusive) at the time of informed consent 2. Signed written informed consent for this trial 3. Biopsy-proven relapsed or treatment-refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the following subtypes, as per the 2022 WHO classification of haematolymphoid tumours * Large B-cell lymphomas of the following histological subtypes: * Diffuse LBCL, not otherwise specified * Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma/high grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements * Large B-cell lymphoma with IRF4 rearrangement * High grade B-cell lymphoma with 11q aberrations * High grade B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified * Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma * Follicular large B-cell lymphoma * EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified * Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma associated with chronic inflammation * Primary cutaneous DLBCL, leg type * Large B-cell lymphoma of one of the above subtypes that has transformed from follicular or marginal zone lymphoma 4. Received adequate first-line lymphoma therapy for the qualifying histology (as defined in inclusion criterion 3 above), comprising at least 2 cycles of a standard combination regimen incorporating an anthracycline and an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody 5. Relapsed or refractory disease meeting one of the following criteria: * Relapsed or refractory within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy, defined as: * Progressive disease following ≥ 2 cycles of chemoimmunotherapy, or * Stable disease following ≥ 4 cycles of chemoimmunotherapy, or * Partial response following ≥ 6 cycles of chemoimmunotherapy, or * Complete response followed by biopsy-proven relapse within 12 months of completing first-line chemoimmunotherapy. * Relapsed or refractory following second-line chemoimmunotherapy, defined as: * Lack of complete response to, or relapse following, autologous stem cell transplantation as part of second-line therapy for the qualifying histology, or * Inability to proceed to autologous stem cell transplantation due to lack of response to 2 cycles of second-line chemoimmunotherapy incorporating both a platinum agent and an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody 6. Positron emission tomography (PET) positive disease according to the Lugano 2014 criteria 7. Available tumour tissue (comprising a tissue block or at least 6 unstained slides) for central histological review 8. Lymphoma-related life expectancy at least 12 weeks, and life expectancy related to conditions other than lymphoma at least 12 months 9. ECOG performance status of 0 or 1 10. Adequate haematologic function, defined by: * Neutrophils ≥ 1.0 × 10\^9/L, and Platelets ≥ 75 × 10\^9/L, and * Lymphocytes ≥ 0.3 × 10\^9/L 11. Adequate renal function, defined by estimated creatinine clearance (eCrCl) or glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) \>/= 45mL/min using the Cockroft Gault estimation, CKD-EPI equation or as assessed by direct measurement. 12. Adequate hepatic function, defined by serum bilirubin \< 2.5 × upper limit of normal (ULN) (unless attributable to Gilbert's syndrome) and alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase \< 3 × ULN. 13. Adequate lung function, defined as ≤ Grade 1 dyspnoea according to NCI CTCAE v5.0, and oxygen saturation (sO2) ≥ 92% on room air. 14. Adequate cardiac function, defined as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 40% as assessed by echocardiogram or multigated acquisition (MUGA), performed within 28 days of commencing screening. 15. For female participants: * Agree to use a condom if undertaking sexual activity with any partner during lymphodepleting chemotherapy, and * If of reproductive potential agree to use a highly effective method of contraception from the time of enrolment until at least 12 months after administration of atlacabtagene autoleucel, or * Are not of reproductive potential defined as either, * being amenorrhoeic for at least 12 consecutive months with FSH 30 ≥ IU/L, or * previously undergone a sterilisation procedure 16. For male participants: * Agree to use a condom if undertaking sexual activity with any partner during lymphodepleting chemotherapy, and * If undertaking sexual activity with a female partner of reproductive potential agree to use a highly effective method of contraception from the time of enrolment until at least 12 months after administration of atlacabtagene autoleucel, and * Agree not to donate sperm for conception, or to provide gametes for in vitro fertilisation for at least 12 months after administration of atlacabtagene autoleucel 17. Participant agrees not to donate blood components at any time after receiving WZTL-002 Exclusion Criteria: 1. Active central nervous system (CNS) involvement by lymphoma. In patients with a history of CNS disease or a clinical suspicion of current CNS disease, lumbar puncture and MRI brain must be performed within 30 days of enrolment to exclude current CNS involvement. 2. Active CNS pathology including: epilepsy, seizure within the preceding year, aphasia, paresis, stroke, dementia, psychosis within the preceding year, severe brain injury, Parkinson disease, or cerebellar disease 3. B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the following subtypes, as per the 2022 WHO classification of haematolymphoid tumours: * Richter transformation of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia * T-cell/histiocyte rich LBCL * Primary LBCL of immune-privileged sites * Fluid overload associated LBCL * Fibrin-associated LBCL * Plasmablastic lymphoma * Mediastinal grey zone lymphoma * Intravascular LBCL * ALK-positive large B-cell lymphoma * Lymphomatoid granulomatosis * Burkitt lymphoma * Primary effusion lymphoma * KSHV/HHV8-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma 4. Patient has received 3 or more prior lines of therapy for LBCL, where 1 line of therapy is defined as 1 or more cycles of a combination chemoimmunotherapy with or without pre-planned consolidation therapy (radiotherapy, autologous stem cell transplant or immunotherapy) 5. Requirement for urgent lymphoma therapy due to tumour-related symptoms, or due to imminent risk of blood vessel, airway, urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, nerve or spinal cord compression 6. Active autoimmune disease requiring current systemic immunosuppression 7. Active sarcoidosis 8. Prior solid organ transplantation or prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) 9. Peripheral blood CD3+ T cells \< 150/μL (0.15 x10\^9/L) as assessed by lymphocyte subset analysis 10. History of active malignancy other than B-cell malignancy within 2 years prior to enrolment, with the exception of: adequately treated in situ carcinoma of the cervix; adequately treated basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin; other localised malignancy surgically resected (or radically treated with another treatment modality) with curative intent 11. Prior treatment with: * gene therapy (including CAR T-cell therapy) or CD19-targeted immunotherapy, or * purine analogue (including bendamustine) or alemtuzumab within 6 months of enrolment, or * bispecific T-cell engager, radiotherapy or an investigational medicine within 4 weeks of enrolment, or * cytotoxic chemotherapy, systemic corticosteroids (at doses of ≥ 10 mg prednisone daily or equivalent), monoclonal antibody or antibody-drug conjugate (other than alemtuzumab) within 2 weeks of enrolment. 12. Pregnant or lactating female 13. Known sensitivity to immunoglobulin or to components of the IP 14. Current or prior HIV infection 15. Vaccination with a live virus within the 4 weeks of enrolment 16. Inadequately-controlled systemic infection 17. Serologic status reflecting active viral hepatitis B or active hepatitis C infection as follows: * Presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) with hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA \> 20 IU/mL. Patients with presence of HBcAb and/or HBsAg remain eligible if HBV DNA is undetectable (or is \< 20 IU/mL), and provided they are receiving appropriate antiviral prophylaxis. * Presence of active Hepatitis C infection as determined by Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA detected by PCR or nucleic acid testing (NAT). Patients with presence of HCV antibody, are eligible if HCV RNA is undetectable. 18. Current New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 2 or higher cardiac symptoms, or myocardial infarction, unstable angina or other clinically significant cardiac disease within the past 6 months 19. Significant concomitant illnesses which would in the Investigators opinion make the patient an unsuitable candidate for the trial 20. Patients who have diminished capacity or any circumstance that would prohibit them from understanding and providing informed consent in accordance with ICH-GCP 21. Patient does not provide consent to enrol to an International Cellular Therapy Registry
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The study's own enquiry address
This study publishes an address for enquiries. See it below .
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The places running it
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Show contact details
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Study contacts
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Contact
Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
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Auckland City Hospital
RECRUITINGAuckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
Contact Email: •••••@•••••
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Christchurch Hospital
RECRUITINGChristchurch, Christchurch Central, 8011, New Zealand
Contact Email: •••••@•••••
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Wellington Hospital
RECRUITINGNewtown, Wellington Region, 6021, New Zealand
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can 'Memory-Enhanced' immune cells outsmart lymphoma?
- Can engineered immune cells lock in remission for aggressive lymphoma?
- Engineered immune cells take aim at Hard-to-Treat lymphomas
- Can a single shot build a cancer army inside the body?