Oblenio has begun dosing patients in its phase 1a first‑in‑human trial of LBL‑051, a tri‑specific T cell engager designed to deplete both B cells and plasma cells in refractory autoimmune diseases.
The company said the therapy aims to deliver a durable immune system reset with the potential for sustained drug‑free remission.
The open‑label, multicentre study is enrolling patients across multiple autoimmune indications and uses subcutaneous dosing to assess safety, tolerability, clinical response, B cell and plasma cell depletion and selected biomarkers.
Ricardo Grieshaber‑Bouyer, Professor of Clinical Systems Immunology and Head of the Clinical Trial Unit at FAU Erlangen‑Nürnberg and Principal Investigator, said: “LBL‑051 preclinical data have shown complete depletion of both B and plasma cells through dual targeting of CD19 and BCMA, with minimal cytokine release.
“These data support LBL‑051’s potential to achieve full B lineage immune reset consistently, which may outperform the results from approaches using a single B cell target.”
He added: “The Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) has allowed us to pioneer a highly innovative, first‑in‑human, dose escalation trial design which enables rapid and thoughtful evaluation of this off‑the‑shelf therapeutic approach, while prioritizing patient safety, in a range of autoimmune diseases.”
Tapan Maniar, Chief Medical Officer of Oblenio, explained: “Our phase 1a trial design marks a significant step forward in the clinical development of T cell engagers for autoimmunity. This differentiated strategy will rapidly generate proof‑of‑concept data in high unmet need populations.”
He added: “We look forward to demonstrating LBL‑051’s potential to achieve a broad and durable immune reset and advancing CD19 and BCMA dual‑targeting.”
Oblenio recently presented preclinical data at the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology 2026 Congress.
Gunter Assmann, M.D., Ph.D., Head of the Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology at RUB University Hospital Minden JWK, said: “Disease‑modifying treatment options for autoimmune diseases remain limited, leaving many patients refractory to the current standard of care.
“In light of this unmet need, Oblenio’s preclinical results and the company’s singular focus on this potentially transformative approach make our participation in the trial a priority.”
