SYDNEY, May 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnGeneIC Limited today announced that the first patient has been dosed in its clinical trial evaluating EnGeneIC’s investigational EGFR-targeted EDV™ (EnGeneIC Dream Vector) therapy in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive and currently incurable form of brain cancer.
The trial is being led by Principal Investigator Dr. Mark Wong, Medical Oncologist at Westmead Hospital, one of Australia’s leading comprehensive cancer centres. Additional Australian recruitment sites will include the Kinghorn Cancer Centre, with further expansion planned to clinical sites in Singapore.
“This first patient dosed milestone is a critical step forward for patients with recurrent glioblastoma, who typically have very limited treatment options once standard therapies have failed,” said Dr. Mark Wong. “We look forward to assessing the safety and potential clinical benefit of this investigational therapy in a patient population with significant unmet medical need.”
The investigational treatment consists of EGFR-targeted EnGeneIC Dream Vectors (EDVs) — bacterially derived, nanocell-based particles engineered to selectively bind to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is frequently over-expressed in glioblastoma. The EDVs are loaded with the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin and the immune-modulating adjuvant α-galactosyl ceramide (α-GalCer).
This dual-payload design is intended to directly kill EGFR-expressing tumour cells while simultaneously activating a broad anti-tumour immune response, potentially converting an immunologically “cold” tumour into one capable of sustained immune recognition and attack.
In the clinical context, recurrent GBM remains highly resistant to conventional chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and EGFR-targeted EDVs offer a novel approach by combining targeted intracellular drug delivery with immune activation in a disease where both effective tumour penetration and immune engagement have historically been major challenges.
Dr. Jennifer MacDiarmid, Joint CEO and Director of EnGeneIC, commented “This clinical trial builds on spectacular overall survival outcomes currently observed in Compassionate Case Study patients with recurrent glioblastoma who had exhausted all available treatment options. Those results provided the strong clinical rationale to advance this EGFR-targeted EDV therapy into a formal clinical trial, allowing us to rigorously evaluate both its anti-cancer and immune-stimulating potential.”
Patient recruitment is expected to continue across Australian and Singaporean sites in accordance with the trial protocol and applicable regulatory approvals.
About Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and aggressive primary brain cancer in adults. Despite treatment with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, recurrence is common and survival outcomes remain poor, highlighting the urgent need for new therapeutic approaches.
About EnGeneIC
EnGeneIC is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing targeted therapies for cancers with high unmet medical need. The Company’s proprietary EDV™ technology platform is designed to deliver therapeutic payloads directly to cancer cells while simultaneously engaging the immune system to support durable anti-tumour responses. This is achieved with minimal to no toxic side effects.
Clinical Trials site
https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=389833&isReview=true
Inquiries
Stephen Parker,
EnGeneIC Limited,
sparker@engeneic.com
source: EnGeneIC
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