HCW Biologics Inc.(HCWB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, shares surged above 100% to $1.04 on Monday after it announced the results of research studies of HCW9206, its commercial-stage multi-cytokine fusion protein reagent that supports a new method of generating highly functional human chimeric antigen receptor T cells or CAR-T cells for treating infectious diseases and cancer.
Notably, the results were published in the peer-reviewed journal, Science Advances, Cole et al., "IL-7/IL-15/IL-21 cytokine-fusion scaffold generates highly functional CAR-T cells enriched in long-lived T memory stem cells" Science Advances, on 13 Mar 2026, Vol 12, Issue 11.
HCW9206 is a cytokine-scaffold-based platform that enables the production of more potent CAR-T-based immunotherapies by generating a CAR-T population which is highly functional and markedly enriched for long-lived T-memory stem cells.
In the article published, the authors demonstrated the results in a humanised mouse model of HIV-1 infection utilising T cells from people living with HIV (PLWH).
In the model, HCW9206 enabled the generation of duoCAR-T cells composed of a highly enriched Tscm population, which supported long-term persistence and functional activity in vivo, along with effector memory T cells (TEM) that provided immediate and potent HIV-1 suppression.
Functional persistence of CAR-T cells is limited by conventional, costly manufacturing methods that utilise anti-CD3/CD28 (aCD3/28)/IL-2 stimulation, which generate terminally differentiated, shorter-lived CAR-Ts.
Key findings
-The study results demonstrated that HCW9206 provides an enhanced approach to generate CAR-T cells for immunotherapy with enhanced function at a cost-effective price.
-In this publication, the authors also showed that HCW9206, when used in the manufacture of CAR-T cells, stimulates the proliferation of CD8+T cells, particularly those within the T memory stem (Tscm) cells.
-Also, using HCW9206 during the manufacture of CAR-Ts synergises the effects of IL-7, IL-15, and IL-21 to promote the generation of a CAR-T cell product with a diverse mix of T cell subsets that exhibit a combination of T memory stem cell (Tscm) self-renewal capacity and enhanced T cell effector function, likely from the TEM population.
-HCW9206 was shown to generate CAR-Ts without requiring aCD3/28/IL-2 activation, which are highly enriched in long-lived Tscm (50% or more) and display potent activity across distinct disease experimental models, namely, HIV-1 or B-cell leukaemia.
-In preclinical studies, CAR-Ts manufactured using HCW9206 were significantly superior to CART-Ts manufactured using standard methods, according to the firm.
-Utilising HCW9206 as a manufacturing strategy may be applicable to increase persistence and functionality of CAR-Ts, according to the firm.
-While confirmation is still pending in clinical studies, this research suggests that CAR-T cells produced with HCW9206 may be more effective and long-lasting than conventional CAR-T cells produced with aCD3/28/IL-2.
Dr. Hing C. Wong, the Company's Founder and Chief Executive Officer, stated that "It is versatile and has shown activity in the creation of memory-like NK-cells for cell-based therapy against cancer and now we also discovered it has the potential to enhance the production of CAR-T therapies as a promising novel reagent to replace the current industry-standard method that relies on anti-CD3/anti-CD28/IL-2-based approaches."
These studies were led by Harris Goldstein, professor of paediatrics and of microbiology & immunology and director of the Einstein-Rockefeller-CUNY-Mount Sinai Centre for AIDS Research and his team of Albert Einstein College of Medicine scientists.
HCWB has traded between $0.47 and $17.80 in the last year. The stock closed trading at $0.55 on Friday.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Business News
May 08, 2026 15:50 ET Manufacturing and services sector survey results and labor market data from main economies were the highlight on the economics news front this week. Factory orders and jobs report dominated the news flow in the U.S. Similarly, industrial production data from German garnered attention in Europe. In Asia, purchasing managers’ survey results from China and the central bank decision from Australia were in focus.