AACR 2026: STC-1010 Shows Safety & Early Immune Activity in MSS CRC
Brenus Pharma, a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Lyon, France, has announced the presentation of new first-in-human data for its lead immunotherapy candidate, STC-1010, at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026, scheduled to take place from April 17 to April 22 in San Diego, California. This milestone marks a significant step forward in the company’s mission to develop innovative cancer treatments, particularly for patients with difficult-to-treat solid tumors.
STC-1010 represents a next-generation immunotherapy developed using Brenus Pharma’s proprietary Stimulated Ghost Cells (SGC) technology platform. This approach is designed to create an “off-the-shelf,” allogeneic treatment that can stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. Unlike traditional personalized therapies that require complex manufacturing for each patient, STC-1010 is intended to be scalable and readily available, potentially improving accessibility and treatment timelines.
The data to be presented at AACR 2026 will be featured in a scientific poster titled, “From preclinical models to first-in-human evaluation of STC-1010 immunotherapy in unresectable advanced colorectal cancer.” The presentation will provide a comprehensive translational overview, highlighting the progression of STC-1010 from preclinical development through its initial clinical evaluation in patients.
The focus of the clinical investigation is on patients with microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer (MSS CRC), a subtype that accounts for the majority of colorectal cancer cases but is notoriously resistant to conventional immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors. This resistance creates a substantial unmet medical need, particularly for patients with advanced or metastatic disease who have limited treatment options.
The clinical data originate from the BreAK CRC001 study (NCT06934538), an ongoing Phase I/IIa, first-in-human trial evaluating STC-1010 in patients with unresectable metastatic MSS colorectal cancer in the first-line treatment setting. The preliminary dataset includes six patients, with a median follow-up duration of six months. Although the sample size is small, the early findings provide encouraging insights into the therapy’s safety, biological activity, and potential clinical benefit.
One of the most notable outcomes from the study is the favorable safety profile of STC-1010. No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed among the treated patients, suggesting that the therapy is well tolerated at the tested dose levels. This is a critical consideration in early-phase clinical development, as safety concerns often limit the advancement of new therapies. The absence of serious adverse events related to dosing supports continued investigation and potential dose optimization in future study phases.
In addition to safety, early signals of efficacy have been observed. All evaluable patients achieved disease control, resulting in a 100% disease control rate (DCR) based on RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors) guidelines. Disease control includes outcomes such as stable disease, partial response, or complete response, indicating that the therapy was able to halt disease progression in all treated individuals during the observation period. While longer follow-up and larger patient cohorts are necessary to confirm these findings, the initial results are promising, particularly in a patient population that typically shows limited responsiveness to immunotherapy.
Another key finding from the study is evidence of immune system activation. Patients demonstrated delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses, which are indicative of a cellular immune reaction. This suggests that STC-1010 is successfully engaging the immune system and potentially priming it to recognize tumor-associated antigens. Immune activation is a central goal of cancer immunotherapy, and these findings provide important proof-of-mechanism for the SGC platform.
Beyond these initial observations, Brenus Pharma is conducting exploratory analyses to further understand the interaction between the tumor and the immune system in response to STC-1010. These studies aim to characterize tumor–immune dynamics and identify potential predictive biomarkers that could help determine which patients are most likely to benefit from the therapy. Biomarker development is an essential component of modern oncology, enabling more personalized treatment approaches and improving clinical outcomes.
The broader implications of these findings extend beyond colorectal cancer. The SGC technology platform underpinning STC-1010 is designed to be adaptable to multiple tumor types, particularly those with high unmet medical needs. By creating a standardized, off-the-shelf immunotherapy, Brenus Pharma aims to overcome some of the logistical and manufacturing challenges associated with current cell-based therapies. This scalability could facilitate broader adoption and more efficient integration into clinical practice.
The upcoming AACR presentation will also provide context from preclinical studies, demonstrating how the therapy was developed and validated prior to entering human trials. This translational perspective is important for understanding the scientific rationale behind STC-1010 and the mechanisms driving its observed effects in patients.
The poster session is scheduled for April 20, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, in Poster Section 50. The presentation is part of the “First-in-Human Phase I Clinical Trials” session, reflecting the early-stage nature of the research. The poster is assigned Board Number 11 and Abstract Number CT051.
The study and presentation involve contributions from a collaborative group of researchers and clinicians across leading cancer centers in France. The authors include Diego Tosi from Montpellier Cancer Institute; Antoine Italiano from Bergonié Institute in Bordeaux; Antoine Hollebecque from Gustave Roussy Institute in Villejuif; Benoît You from Hospices Civils de Lyon; and François Ghiringhelli from the Georges-François Leclerc Cancer Center in Dijon. Additional contributors from Brenus Pharma include Iseulys Richert, Benoît Pinteur, and Paul Bravetti.
This collaborative effort highlights the importance of partnerships between academic institutions and industry in advancing cancer research. By combining clinical expertise with innovative technology platforms, such collaborations can accelerate the development of new therapies and bring them closer to patients in need.
In conclusion, the first-in-human data for STC-1010 represent an encouraging step forward in the field of cancer immunotherapy. The therapy has demonstrated a favorable safety profile, early signs of efficacy, and clear evidence of immune activation in a challenging patient population. While further research is needed to validate these findings and expand upon them in larger trials, the results support continued clinical development and underscore the potential of the SGC technology platform.
As Brenus Pharma advances STC-1010 into later-stage studies, the oncology community will be watching closely to see whether these early signals translate into meaningful clinical benefits for patients. If successful, STC-1010 could offer a new treatment option for individuals with MSS colorectal cancer and potentially pave the way for similar therapies across a range of solid tumors.
About Brenus Pharma
Brenus Pharma develops an off-the-shelf platform advancing novel modalities in immuno-oncology. This cutting-edge precision technology mimics tumor protein expression and makes it visible to the immune system, enabling a multi-specific in vivo immune response adapting to tumor evolution in hard-to-treat solid tumors – where current therapies fall short.
