SAN DIEGO, May 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calidi Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: CLDI) (“Calidi” or “the Company”), a biotechnology company pioneering the development of targeted genetic medicines, announced that two abstracts showcasing the Company’s RedTail platform have been accepted for online publication at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting being held from May 29 to June 2, 2026 in Chicago, IL. The Company’s proprietary RedTail platform is a systemically delivered virotherapy platform engineered to selectively target tumors, remodel the tumor microenvironment, and enable high-level expression of therapeutic genetic payloads directly within tumors.
The Company will present preclinical data on its lead program, CLD-401. CLD-401 is a systemically delivered virotherapy designed to selectively target tumors and enable high-level expression of IL-15 superagonist (“IL-15 SA”), a known T- and NK-cell activator, driving profound immune changes in the tumor microenvironment (“TME”), including the recruitment and activation of NK, NK-T, and gamma delta (γδ) T-cells that lead to a robust therapeutic response in immunocompetent animal models. The Company expects to file an IND for CLD-401 by the end of 2026.
The Company will also present preclinical data on CLD-501, the lead compound from its in situ T-cell engager (“TCE”) approach. CLD-501 is a systemically delivered virotherapy designed to selectively target tumors and simultaneously enable the high-level in situ expression of a TROP-2 TCE and IL-15 SA.
“The data presented at ASCO demonstrate the potential for the RedTail platform as systemic virotherapy that can deliver genetic medicine to metastatic sites after systemic administration,” said Antonio F. Santidrian, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Calidi. “The ability of CLD-401 to induce high levels of IL15-SA expression in the TME may drive activity in patients that have progressed on current IO therapies while the tandem expression of a TCE and a T-cell activator as seen with CLD-501 may overcome the barriers to TCE efficacy in solid tumors.”
The Company continues to expand the functionality of the RedTail platform and is also actively pursuing strategic partnerships to accelerate clinical development and broaden the impact of its RedTail platform.
About Calidi
Calidi Biotherapeutics (NYSE American: CLDI) is a biotechnology company pioneering the development of targeted therapies with the potential to deliver genetic medicines to distal sites of disease. The company’s proprietary RedTail platform features an engineered enveloped oncolytic virus designed for systemic delivery and targeting of metastatic sites. This advanced enveloped technology is intended to shield the virus from immune clearance, allowing virotherapy to effectively reach tumor sites, induce tumor lysis, and deliver potent genetic medicine(s) to metastatic locations.
CLD-401, the lead candidate from the RedTail platform, currently in IND-enabling studies, targets non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and other tumor types with high unmet medical need. Calidi continues to advance its pipeline utilizing the RedTail platform including its novel approach to incorporate in situ T-cell engagers in solid tumors.
Calidi Biotherapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, please visit www.calidibio.com or view Calidi’s Corporate Presentation here.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements for purposes of the “safe harbor” provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Terms such as “anticipates,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predicts,” “project,” “should,” “towards,” “would” as well as similar terms, are forward-looking in nature, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning key milestones, including certain pre-clinical data, planned clinical trials, and statements relating to the safety and efficacy of Calidi’s therapeutic candidates in development. Any forward-looking statements contained in this discussion are based on Calidi’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects and are subject to multiple risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth or implied in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk that Calidi is not able to raise sufficient capital to support its current and anticipated clinical trials, the risk that early results of clinical trials do not necessarily predict final results and that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change following more comprehensive review of the data, and as more patient data becomes available, the risk that Calidi may not receive FDA approval for some or all of its therapeutic candidates. Other risks and uncertainties are set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the Company’s annual report filed with the SEC on Form 10-K on March 27, 2026, as may be amended or supplemented by other reports we file with the SEC from time to time. We disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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