Poolbeg Pharma begins oral POLB 001 trials to prevent CRS
Poolbeg Pharma, a London startup, is about to start trials for the oral drug, POLB 001.
The goal? To prevent cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a risky side effect from cancer immunotherapy that can cause organ damage or worse.
30 patients getting Johnson & Johnson's blood cancer treatment (teclistamab) will take part at six NHS hospitals.
No approved prevention for CRS
CRS hits around 70% of people on immunotherapy, but there is no approved way to stop it yet.
POLB 001 works by calming the immune system before treatment starts, originally meant for chronic inflammation but now showing promise against CRS.
If all goes well, Poolbeg thinks the drug could help half a million blood cancer patients by 2031 and make care more accessible by cutting down on expensive monitoring.
Early trial results are expected by summer 2026.