Baylor College of Medicine Publishes Promising Safety and Efficacy Results of Multi-Antigen Targeted T Cells in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer

Rhea-AI Summary

Marker Therapeutics (Nasdaq: MRKR) announced publication of Baylor College of Medicine clinical data showing a favorable safety profile and an 84.6% disease control rate in Arm A when Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells were combined with frontline chemotherapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Key metrics: median duration of response 7.5 months (range 3.5–16.6) for responders and median overall survival 14.1 months. Infused T cells persisted at detectable levels 12 months post-treatment and higher frequencies correlated with clinical response. Marker says it plans to start its pancreatic program in H1 2026 and has secured non-dilutive NIH SBIR and CPRIT funding to support the program.

Positive

• Disease control rate of 84.6% in Arm A
• Median overall survival of 14.1 months reported
• Infused T cells detectable at 12 months post-treatment
• Secured non-dilutive NIH SBIR and CPRIT funding
• Plans clinical initiation in H1 2026

Negative

• Results derive from a Phase 1/2, three-arm, nonrandomized trial
• Median duration of response limited to 7.5 months for responders

Key Figures

Disease control rate 84.6% Arm A, pancreatic cancer Phase 1/2 study

Median duration of response 7.5 months Patients with partial or complete response in Arm A

Duration of response range 3.5–16.6 months Responders in Arm A pancreatic cancer cohort

Median overall survival 14.1 months Arm A pancreatic cancer patients

Objective response rate 66% MT-601 in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (APOLLO study)

Complete response rate 50% MT-601 in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (APOLLO study)

T cell persistence 12 months Infused T cells detected post-treatment in pancreatic cancer study

Program initiation timing First half of 2026 Planned clinical initiation of pancreatic cancer program

Market Reality Check

$1.86 Last Close

Volume Volume 224,331 versus 20-day average of 295,564 suggests no major pre-news accumulation. normal

Technical Price 1.54 is trading above the 200-day MA 1.22, indicating an improving trend before this update.

Peers on Argus

Peers showed mixed moves: ADAP -17.57%, SNSE -6.81%, BCTX -0.69%, versus strong gains in LPTX +238.84% and PHIO +3.81%. MRKR’s pre-news +3.36% looks more stock-specific than sector-driven.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Nov 14	Earnings and updates	Positive	+3.5%	Q3 update with strong MT-601 response rates and funded runway guidance.
Nov 05	Board appointment	Positive	+1.7%	Experienced oncology and cell therapy executive added to Board of Directors.
Nov 03	Clinical conference data	Positive	-2.9%	ASH presentations with high ORR and CR rates in NHL and HL cohorts.
Oct 06	Clinical trial start	Positive	+13.1%	First patient treated in off-the-shelf RAPID study with well-tolerated profile.
Aug 28	Investor conference	Neutral	-4.7%	Planned participation in investor conference to discuss MAR-T platform.

Pattern Detected

MRKR has often reacted positively to clinically focused updates, though one data-heavy conference event saw a negative divergence, indicating that good data has not always translated into immediate gains.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, MRKR has highlighted progress across its MAR-T cell platform. Q3 2025 results on Nov 14 emphasized a 66% ORR and durable responses in MT-601, with shares rising. Board strengthening on Nov 5 and APOLLO data presentations around early November showed mixed price reactions. Earlier, the first off-the-shelf patient treated on Oct 6 drew a strong positive move. Today’s pancreatic cancer data further extends this clinical narrative into solid tumors.

Market Pulse Summary

The stock surged +16.2% in the session following this news. A strong positive reaction aligns with MRKR’s history of notable gains on clinical milestones, such as the off-the-shelf program update that saw a 13.1% move. The Nature Medicine pancreatic cancer data extend efficacy and safety signals into solid tumors. However, past divergences around conference data suggest that enthusiasm has not always been durable, so investors have historically weighed subsequent trial design and execution closely.

Key Terms

multi-antigen targeted t cells medical

"exclusive license of Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells (also referred to as..."

Multi-antigen targeted T cells are immune cells engineered or selected to recognize several different markers (antigens) on diseased cells rather than just one, like security guards trained to check multiple ID badges. For investors, they matter because targeting multiple markers can reduce the chance a disease escapes treatment and may improve effectiveness, but they also add scientific, manufacturing and regulatory complexity that can affect costs, timelines and commercial risk.

disease control rate medical

"demonstrated a favorable safety profile and up to 84.6% disease control rate"

The disease control rate is the share of patients in a clinical trial whose cancer or condition either shrinks or stops getting worse for a specified period after treatment. Think of it like the percentage of people for whom a treatment hits pause or nudges back the problem rather than letting it progress; higher rates suggest the therapy can meaningfully limit disease, which matters to investors assessing a drug’s potential efficacy and commercial value.

objective response rate medical

"resulting in a 66% objective response rate in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma"

The objective response rate (ORR) is the percentage of patients in a clinical trial whose tumors measurably shrink or disappear according to preset rules. Investors use it as a quick, objective signal of a drug’s ability to produce a clear treatment effect—like counting how many plants visibly respond after applying a new fertilizer—and higher ORR can improve odds of regulatory approval, commercial success, and company valuation.

complete response medical

"66% objective response rate in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with 50% achieving complete response"

A complete response is a positive outcome in which a company’s efforts to address issues or questions fully resolve the problem, often meaning that no further action or investigation is needed. For investors, it signals that concerns have been thoroughly addressed, which can boost confidence in the company's stability or decision-making. Think of it like a doctor fully treating an illness, leaving no remaining symptoms.

lymphodepletion medical

"by adding lymphodepletion to the study to further support the expansion"

Lymphodepletion is a short medical treatment that lowers a patient’s lymphocytes, the immune cells that can interfere with certain cell-based therapies, to create a more supportive environment for the new therapy to work. Think of it like clearing a crowded garden bed before planting seeds: by temporarily reducing competing cells, the engineered therapy can take hold more effectively. Investors watch lymphodepletion because it affects clinical trial results, safety profiles, treatment adoption, and overall commercial potential.

stromal cells medical

"Chemotherapy was previously shown to break down the tumor’s supporting stromal cells"

Stromal cells are the supportive cells that form the structural framework of tissues, like the scaffolding and cushions that hold organs and tumors together. For investors, they matter because therapies or diagnostics targeting these cells can change how diseases progress, affect drug delivery and treatment effectiveness, and influence the commercial potential and regulatory path of biotech products—think of altering the foundation to change how a building performs.

phase 1/2 clinical study medical

"The Phase 1/2 clinical study conducted at Baylor College of Medicine demonstrated"

A phase 1/2 clinical study is an early-stage human trial that combines two goals: first to test safety and find the right dose in a small group, and then to look for initial signs that the treatment works. For investors it’s like a prototype test drive — successful results reduce the biggest early risks, unlock value-driving milestones (funding, partnerships, larger trials) and inform how likely the program is to reach the market.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Clinical study from Baylor College of Medicine demonstrates a favorable safety profile and up to 84.6% disease control rate in patients with pancreatic cancer in Arm A of the clinical study

Study highlights correlation between the clinical benefit and the expansion and persistence of Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells

HOUSTON, Jan. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marker Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRKR) is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology Company with the worldwide exclusive license of Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells (also referred to as Multi-Antigen Recognizing T cells, or MAR-T cells, by Marker), a technology developed at Baylor College of Medicine for the treatment of hematologic and solid tumors. A research team from Baylor College of Medicine has now published groundbreaking work in Nature Medicine investigating Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells in patients with pancreatic cancer.

The Phase 1/2 clinical study conducted at Baylor College of Medicine demonstrated encouraging objective clinical responses and a disease control rate of 84.6% when combining Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells with frontline chemotherapy (Arm A). In this arm of the study, median duration of response for patients achieving a partial or complete response was 7.5 months (range 3.5 – 16.6) with a median overall survival rate of 14.1 months suggesting a clinical benefit of combining Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells with standard chemotherapy.

Clinical results from this Phase 1 study demonstrated a favorable safety profile and potential synergistic effect when combining Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells with chemotherapy without affecting the toxicity profile. Chemotherapy was previously shown to break down the tumor’s supporting stromal cells, which act as a protective barrier, to facilitate T cell infiltration into the tumor and to boost anti-tumor response (Gao Z et al, Frontiers in Oncology, 2023).

The research group from Baylor also highlighted a correlation between the clinical effect and the expansion and persistence of infused Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells. The data showed that infused T cells were still present in patients 12 months post-treatment and found at higher frequencies in patients that responded to the investigational product.

“We congratulate the research team at Baylor College of Medicine on this outstanding work and encouraging results in patients with pancreatic cancer,” said Juan Vera, MD, President and CEO of Marker Therapeutics. “The data highlights the excellent safety profile of Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells and demonstrates that they can be used in combination with frontline chemotherapy. We believe that this clinical proof-of-concept study emphasizes the potential of Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells in pancreatic cancer and sets the stage for continued development toward addressing a critical unmet need.”

Dr. Vera continued, “At Marker, we have further advanced the technology, referring to it as MAR-T cells, and hope to build on the strong results observed in the Baylor study by increasing the number of target antigens, using higher cell doses, and by adding lymphodepletion to the study to further support the expansion of infused MAR-T cells. We are excited about our progress and anticipate clinical initiation of our pancreatic cancer program in the first half of 2026.”

The Company recently reported promising safety and efficacy results from its Phase 1 study investigating a MAR-T cell product (MT-601) in lymphoma (APOLLO study, Press Release, August 26, 2025). This study included several improvements compared to earlier trials resulting in a 66% objective response rate in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with 50% achieving complete response. Improvements from this clinical study will also be incorporated in the pancreatic cancer program.

The Company has secured non-dilutive funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to support the pancreatic cancer program. We anticipate that using these allocated non-dilutive funds should allow the Company to proceed with the pancreatic program without affecting the Company’s runway and its efforts to advance MT-601 in patients with lymphoma in the ongoing Phase 1 APOLLO study (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT05798897).

Reference
Benjamin L. Musher, Spyridoula Vasileiou, Brandon G. Smaglo, Catherine S. Robertson, Mengfen Wu, Tao Wang, Ayumi Watanabe, Manik Kuvalekar, Yovana Velazquez, Shamika Ketkar, Tamadar Al Doheyan, Penelope G. Papayanni, Aakash Shah, Natalia Lapteva, Bambi J. Grilley, George Van Buren, Premal D. Lulla, Helen E. Heslop, Cliona M. Rooney, Malcolm K. Brenner, and Ann M. Leen. Autologous multiantigen-targeted T cell therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC): results of a Phase I, three-arm, nonrandomized clinical trial (TACTOPS). Nature Medicine. doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04043-5

About MAR-T cells
The multi-antigen recognizing (MAR) T cell platform (formerly known as multiTAA-specific T cells) is a novel, non-genetically modified cell therapy approach that selectively expands tumor-specific T cells from a patient's/donor’s blood capable of recognizing a broad range of tumor antigens. Unlike other T cell therapies, MAR-T cells allow the recognition of hundreds of different epitopes within up to six tumor-specific antigens, thereby reducing the possibility of tumor escape. Since MAR-T cells are not genetically engineered, Marker believes that its product candidates will be easier and less expensive to manufacture, with an improved safety profile compared to current engineered T cell approaches and may provide patients with meaningful clinical benefits.

About MT-601
The Company’s lead product, MT-601, is a multi-antigen recognizing (MAR) T cell product that utilizes a non-genetically modified approach that specifically targets six different tumor antigens upregulated in tumor cells (Survivin, PRAME, WT-1, NY-ESO-1, SSX-2, MAGEA-4). Marker is currently investigating MT-601 in the Phase 1 APOLLO trial (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT05798897) for the treatment of patients with lymphoma who have relapsed after or are ineligible to receive anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapies. Due to the broad target recognition profile of MT-601, the Company is exploring its potential application beyond lymphoma in patients with pancreatic cancer. The Company’s pancreatic cancer program is supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (Award Number R44CA295168), and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT, Award Number DP250150).

About Marker Therapeutics, Inc.
Marker Therapeutics, Inc. is a Houston, TX-based clinical-stage immuno-oncology company specializing in the development of next-generation T cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. The Company was founded at Baylor College of Medicine, and clinical trials that enrolled more than 200 patients across various hematological and solid tumor indications showed that the Company’s autologous and allogeneic MAR-T cell products were well tolerated and demonstrated durable clinical responses. Marker’s goal is to introduce novel T cell therapies to the market and improve patient outcomes. To achieve these objectives, the Company prioritizes the preservation of financial resources and focuses on operational excellence. Marker’s unique T cell platform is strengthened by non-dilutive funding from U.S. state and federal agencies supporting cancer research.

To receive future press releases via email, please visit: https://www.markertherapeutics.com/email-alerts.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this news release concerning the Company’s expectations, plans, business outlook or future performance, and any other statements concerning assumptions made or expectations as to any future events, conditions, performance or other matters, are “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things: our research, development and regulatory activities and expectations relating to our non-engineered multi-tumor antigen specific T cell therapies; the effectiveness of these programs or the possible range of application and potential curative effects and safety in the treatment of diseases; the timing, conduct, interim results announcements and outcomes of our clinical trials of our product candidates, including MT-601 for the treatment of patients with lymphoma or pancreatic cancer. Forward-looking statements are by their nature subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in such statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to the risks set forth in the Company’s most recent Form 10-K, 10-Q and other SEC filings which are available through EDGAR at WWW.SEC.GOV. The Company assumes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release except as may be required by law.

Media and Investor Contact
Marker Therapeutics, Inc.
+1 (713) 400-6400
investor.relations@markertherapeutics.com

FAQ

What did Baylor College of Medicine report about MRKR Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells in pancreatic cancer on January 5, 2026?

They reported a favorable safety profile and an 84.6% disease control rate in Arm A when combined with frontline chemotherapy.

What survival and response metrics did MRKR-related pancreatic study publish?

The study reported median overall survival 14.1 months and median duration of response 7.5 months for responders.

How long did infused MRKR T cells persist after treatment in the pancreatic study?

Infused Multi-Antigen Targeted T cells were detectable at 12 months post-treatment and were found at higher frequencies in responders.

Will MRKR start its own pancreatic program and when?

Marker anticipates clinical initiation of its pancreatic program in the first half of 2026.

How is MRKR funding its planned pancreatic program?

The company secured non-dilutive funding from NIH SBIR and CPRIT to support the pancreatic program.

How robust are the pancreatic cancer data for MRKR’s program?

The published data are encouraging but come from a Phase 1/2, three-arm, nonrandomized study, which limits broad generalizability.