- First patients treated with agenT-797 were alive and afebrile at endpoint Day 28 with improved oxygenation, infection control and removal from ventilator and vasopressor support
- Analysis of blood and lung fluid showed signals of infection control and biological changes associated with immune recovery, tissue repair and pulmonary recovery
- MiNK initiated dosing immediately after regulatory clearance; a pace made possible by our therapy that ships from inventory, with no apheresis, patient-specific manufacturing, HLA matching or lymphodepletion
- Enrollment continues in Lviv with U.S. sites opening; additional data are expected in early 2027
NEW YORK, Aug. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MiNK Therapeutics, Inc. (NSDAQ: INKT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering off-the-shelf allogeneic invariant natural killer T-cell (iNKT) therapies for cancer and immune disorders, today announced initial observations from patients treated with agenT-797 in its ongoing Phase 2 study in patients with severe hypoxemic pneumonia.
The observations were presented at the 2026 Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) by Dr. Terese Hammond, M.D., a pulmonary critical care specialist and Head of Inflammatory and Pulmonary Diseases at MiNK and coauthored by delegates from First Lviv Territorial Medical Union in Lviv, Ukraine.
Severe lung injury has high mortality and no approved therapy proven to reduce it. In conflict and austere settings, multidrug-resistant infections (MDRs) can render traditional antibiotic therapies ineffective and accelerate lung injury. agenT-797 is designed to restore barrier immunity and mitigate inflammatory lung damage.
Initial reports: agenT-797-treated patients were alive, with substantially improved hemodynamics, mental status and oxygenation at Day 28. Microbiological data indicated control of the baseline infections and serum and bronchoalveolar lavage analyses showed reduced inflammatory markers and biological changes associated with immune recovery, epithelial repair and pulmonary vascular recovery. No major serious adverse events attributed to agenT-797 were reported in these first treated patients.
"These initial patients entered the study with severe respiratory failure, complex infections and substantial medical risk," said Dr. Terese C. Hammond, M.D., Pulmonary Critical Care Physician and Head of Inflammatory Diseases of MiNK Therapeutics. "Following treatment, we observed encouraging signs of improvement in oxygenation, infection control and biological changes associated with reduced inflammation and increased production of cytokines associated with pulmonary tissue healing and repair. The biological changes are promising and appear consistent with our observations presented earlier this year at ASGCT and ATS.”
“We activated a randomized trial, dosed our first patient within days of regulatory approval and are reporting Day 28 observations weeks later—in ventilated, critically ill patients in an active, austere conflict environment,” said Jennifer Buell, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of MiNK Therapeutics. “This pace underscores the importance of an off-the-shelf therapy that can reach patients where and when they need it, without patient-specific manufacturing, HLA matching or lymphodepletion. We are proud to support the medical readiness and national security imperatives essential to protecting service members and critically ill patients in contested and resource-limited environments. These early observations are encouraging and we look forward to advancing this program rapidly.”
Presentation Details
Title: Randomized Phase 2 of agenT-797 as a Pathogen-Agnostic Treatment of Hypoxemic Pneumonia/ARDS in Austere and Conflict Environments
Session: Cellular Therapies for Trauma
Presenters: Dr. Terese C. Hammond, M.D., Pulmonary Critical Care Physician and Head of Inflammatory Diseases, MiNK Therapeutics
Date and Time: Thursday, August 6, 2026, 11:30–11:45 a.m. ET
Location: Military Health System Research Symposium, Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, Kissimmee, Florida
Next steps: Enrollment in C-1300-02 is ongoing at the First Lviv Territorial Medical Union, with expansion into U.S. centers actively underway. Additional data are expected in early 2027.
About C-1300-02 Trial
The C-1300-02 trial is a randomized Phase 2 study evaluating agenT-797 plus standard of care compared with placebo plus standard of care in adults with acute lung injury and critical illness, including moderate to severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, who meet Global ARDS criteria. The study is being initiated at First Lviv Territorial Medical Union in Lviv, Ukraine along with U.S. sites. The trial has received authorization from the Ukraine Ministry of Health, is supported by an active U.S. IND. Preliminary data are expected in the second half of 2026.
About MiNK Therapeutics
MiNK Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing off-the-shelf allogeneic iNKT cell therapies for life-threatening conditions driven by immune dysfunction. The company's lead program, agenT-797, is being evaluated in acute lung injury and critical illness, with a pipeline that extends across immuno-oncology, transplant medicine, and other settings where dysregulated immunity is a driver of morbidity and mortality. MiNK believes that iNKT cell biology, because of its regulatory role across innate and adaptive immunity, may represent a foundational approach to immune restoration applicable across a broad range of conditions. For more information, visit www.minktherapeutics.com.
About Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS)
MHSRS is the U.S. military’s primary scientific meeting for research addressing the medical needs of service members, including combat casualty care, infectious disease, trauma and operational medicine. The presentation is particularly timely amid heightened global conflict and the growing threat posed by severe, drug-resistant infections in battlefield and other resource-limited environments. MHSRS brings together military medical researchers, clinicians, government agencies, academic institutions and industry to improve care for deployed service members.
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