17th March 2026
Cancer Research UK and NovalGen dose the first patient in the Phase 1 trial of T-cell engager NVG-222
Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development (CDD) and NovalGen today announce that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating NVG‑222, NovalGen’s next-generation self‑regulating T‑cell engager for the treatment of ROR1‑positive blood cancers.
NVG‑222 is a bispecific T‑cell engager targeting ROR1 and CD3 and is the first therapeutic candidate to use NovalGen’s proprietary AutoRegulation technology, a key innovation designed to mitigate excessive immune activation and cytokine-mediated toxicities, while maintaining sustained T-cell function and reducing exhaustion associated with continuous stimulation.
The trial is sponsored and delivered by Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development and is led by Chief Investigator Will Townsend at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), where the first patient received treatment. Cancer Research Horizons is managing the commercial partnership between NovalGen and Cancer Research UK.
The study is enrolling patients across the UK with ROR1‑positive blood cancers and uses an adaptive design to optimise dose, treatment and biomarker strategies. Dosing of the first patient marks an important step in translating AutoRegulated immune therapies from the laboratory into clinical testing.
Dr Lars Erwig, Director of the Centre for Drug Development at Cancer Research UK, said:
“Dosing the first patient is an important milestone for our collaboration with NovalGen. NVG‑222 reflects the kind of innovative, safety‑focused immunotherapy we aim to advance, and we’re proud to help bring this next‑generation treatment into the clinic.”
Professor Amit Nathwani, Founder and CEO of NovalGen, said:
“The start of this Phase 1 trial is a defining moment for NovalGen and the patients we serve. With support from CRUK, we are moving towards a future of ‘intelligent’ biologics. Our AutoRegulation (AR) technology is designed to sense and respond to the biological environment in real-time, aiming to overcome the toxicity and
exhaustion hurdles that have historically limited T-cell based immunotherapies. NVG-222 marks the beginning of our mission to set a new standard for precision, potency and safety in next-generation immunotherapy.”
Dr William Townsend, Consultant Haematologist at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“This represents the start of the next chapter in the story of T-cell engaging strategies to treat blood cancers. It is exciting to be part of this Phase 1 clinical trial which shows the best of UK research and clinical trial delivery. I hope it will translate into tangible benefits for our patients.”
