Tempest Therapeutics options Senlang lentiviral in vivo CAR-T platform
Tempest Therapeutics has entered into an exclusive option agreement with Hebei Senlang Biotechnology that would give the Nasdaq-listed company the right to license Senlang's CD7-targeted lentiviral vector platform and an associated portfolio of in vivo CAR-T candidates. The deal, announced on 15 September 2026, complements Tempest's existing lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery platform and brings a clinical-stage programme into the company's pipeline for the first time via an in-licensing route.
The lead asset under option is a BCMA/GPRC5D dual-targeting in vivo CAR-T candidate currently in Phase 1 dose escalation for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. As of 25 August 2026, early readouts at the highest evaluable dose showed successful generation and expansion of CAR-T cells within patients. No Grade 3 or higher cytokine release syndrome and no immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome had been observed, and dose escalation is continuing with enrolment ongoing.
How the platform works
Senlang's approach uses nanobody-based retargeting to direct engineered lentiviral particles selectively to CD7-positive T cells and natural killer cells in the bloodstream, enabling CAR transgene delivery without prior cell collection from the patient. An engineered detargeted cocal envelope is intended to improve serum stability, and producer-cell modifications add an immune-shielding feature designed to extend the functional half-life of the viral particles in circulation. In preclinical mouse models, a single low-dose administration produced rapid CAR-cell expansion, tumour-site enrichment, and durable tumour regression.
Matt Angel, President and Chief Executive of Tempest, described the strategic rationale in terms of complementary delivery modalities. "The LNP platform offers a potentially repeatable approach to transient CAR expression, while the lentiviral platform is designed to support durable CAR-cell generation," he said. "These complementary capabilities provide Tempest with the flexibility to match the delivery approach to the biology and treatment requirements of different cancers and autoimmune diseases."
Market context and competitive landscape
In vivo CAR-T delivery is among the most actively pursued areas in cell and gene therapy. The field is motivated by the high cost, logistical complexity, and manufacturing bottlenecks associated with conventional ex vivo autologous CAR-T products. A number of companies, including both well-capitalised biotechs and academic spinouts, are pursuing non-viral and viral in vivo delivery strategies, with CD7 emerging as a widely explored entry receptor given its expression on T cells and NK cells.
The dual-targeting approach against BCMA and GPRC5D is clinically rational. Both antigens are validated in multiple myeloma: bispecific antibodies and CAR-T products directed at BCMA are already approved, and GPRC5D-targeting agents have shown strong efficacy in late-stage trials. Combining the two antigens in a single construct is intended to reduce the risk of antigen escape, a known resistance mechanism in myeloma.
Tempest's own lead programme, TPST-4003, targets CD19 and BCMA via an LNP delivery system and is planned to enter the clinic later this year. The Senlang option, if exercised and converted to a full licence, would give Tempest a second platform and a broader pipeline spanning haematologic malignancies and autoimmune indications. Financial terms of the option agreement were not disclosed. Investors will focus on the timing of the Phase 1 data readout from the Senlang programme and Tempest's decision on whether to exercise the option as the two key near-term catalysts.