Poolbeg Pharma (AIM:POLB) announced the first site activation for its POLB 001 TOPICAL first‑in‑patient trial following completion of the site initiation visit.
The TOPICAL study is a single‑arm, open‑label trial run by Accelerating Clinical Trials investigating POLB 001 as a preventative for cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in approximately 30 relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients receiving the approved bispecific antibody teclistamab.
Because CRS typically occurs within days to weeks of starting bispecific antibody therapy, the company expects a rapid readout and has targeted interim data in the summer of 2026.
Teclistamab is being supplied by Johnson & Johnson at no cost to Poolbeg.
"We believe POLB 001 has the potential to transform the cancer immunotherapy field through the prevention of CRS," said Jeremy Skillington, Chief Executive Officer.
Accelerating Clinical Trials will manage patient recruitment and delivery as the study advances.