What Estrella Immunopharma does

Estrella Immunopharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing CD19 and CD22-targeted T-cell therapies for the treatment of B-cell malignancies, autoimmune diseases, and solid tumors. Founded in 2022 as a Delaware corporation headquartered in Emeryville, California, the company went public on NASDAQ (tickers ESLA and ESLAW) in October 2023 following a SPAC business combination with TradeUP Acquisition Corp. that provided approximately $23.11 million in cash. Its product candidates are built on the ARTEMIS (Antibody Redirected T Cells with Endogenous Modular Immune Signaling) platform, licensed from parent company Eureka Therapeutics, which uses a modular antibody-T-cell-receptor (AbTCR) architecture designed to mimic natural T-cell receptor signaling.

The lead product candidate, EB103, is a CD19-redirected ARTEMIS T-cell therapy in Phase I/II STARLIGHT-1 clinical trials for relapsed/refractory B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The company reported a 100% complete response rate in the high-dose cohort of the Phase I trial (n=9 patients) with no treatment-related serious adverse events and no Grade 3 or higher cytokine release syndrome. Additional pipeline assets include EB104 (a dual CD19/CD22-targeted ARTEMIS T-cell therapy for B-cell malignancies), EB201 (an ARTEMIS T-cell candidate for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus), and a Mark-and-Kill combination approach developed in partnership with Imugene Limited using the CF33-CD19t oncolytic virus to address solid tumors.

As a pre-revenue clinical-stage company, Estrella does not currently generate product revenue. The business model relies on periodic equity capital raises — including a $3.35 million private placement in May 2025 and an $8.0 million registered direct offering in January 2026 — to fund clinical development, with future revenue dependent on regulatory approval and commercialization. Investigational therapies are currently distributed exclusively through clinical trial sites: UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center (primary site) and Baylor Scott & White Research Institute. Parent company Eureka Therapeutics, founded and led by CEO Dr. Cheng Liu, is also Estrella's primary technology licensor and equity holder, creating a concentrated ownership and technology structure.

Name

Estrella Immunopharma

Legal name

Estrella Immunopharma, Inc.

Website

https://estrellabio.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Estrella Immunopharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing CD19 and CD22-targeted ARTEMIS T-cell therapies for B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, autoimmune diseases, and solid tumors. Lead candidate EB103 showed 100% complete response in Phase I high-dose cohort.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cell Therapy Biopharmaceuticals

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

CAR-T & TCR-T Therapies (HLAAABAC)

Keywords

• T-cell immunotherapy
• Cell therapy development
• Cancer immunotherapy
• Biopharmaceutical research
• CAR-T alternatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Emeryville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. T-cell Therapy Development and Commercialization: As a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, Estrella does not currently generate revenue. The company is developing CD19 and CD22-targeted ARTEMIS T-cell therapies for treatment of cancers and autoimmune diseases. Lead product EB103 is in Phase I/II clinical trials for relapsed/refractory B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Revenue will be generated through commercialization of therapeutic products upon regulatory approval.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Estrella Immunopharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation T-cell immunotherapies built on the ARTEMIS platform licensed from Eureka Therapeutics. Its lead candidate EB103 is a CD19-redirected ARTEMIS T-cell therapy in a Phase I/II trial (STARLIGHT-1) for relapsed/refractory B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, with additional candidates EB104 (dual CD19/CD22) and EB201 (autoimmune disease) in preclinical/early development.

Product overview

Estrella Immunopharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of ARTEMIS T-cell therapies. The company's core products include EB103 (CD19-targeted) as the lead candidate for B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, EB104 (CD19/CD22 dual-targeted) for DLBCL and ALL, and EB201 for autoimmune diseases like Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. The company also employs a proprietary "mark-and-kill" approach combining EB103 with oncolytic viruses for solid tumor applications. All therapies utilize the ARTEMIS (Antibody Redirected T Cells with Endogenous Modular Immune Signaling) technology platform licensed from parent company Eureka Therapeutics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EB103 (CD19-Redirected ARTEMIS T-Cell Therapy) Lead product candidate, a CD19-targeted ARTEMIS T-cell therapy in Phase I/II clinical development for adult patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL), including aggressive subtypes such as DLBCL. EB103 utilizes ARTEMIS technology licensed from Eureka Therapeutics to target the CD19 protein expressed on B-cell leukemia and lymphoma surfaces, and is designed to reduce Cytokine Release Syndrome and neurotoxicity versus conventional CAR-T therapies.
• EB104 (Dual CD19/CD22-Targeted ARTEMIS T-Cell Therapy) ARTEMIS T-cell therapy candidate designed to simultaneously target both CD19 and CD22 proteins expressed on most B-cell malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL).
• EB201 (ARTEMIS T-Cell Therapy for Autoimmune Disease) ARTEMIS T-cell therapy candidate being developed for autoimmune diseases, specifically Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), applying the company's modular T-cell platform beyond oncology.
• EB103 + Oncolytic Virus Combination (Mark-and-Kill Approach) Investigational combination strategy pairing CD19-Redirected ARTEMIS T-cells (EB103) with an oncolytic virus (CF33-CD19t) that forces solid tumor cells to express CD19 on their surface, enabling ARTEMIS T-cells to target and kill CD19-labeled solid tumors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% Complete Response rate in high-dose cohort at Month 1 in Phase I STARLIGHT-1 trial
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eureka Therapeutics, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationEureka Therapeutics is Estrella's parent company that developed and owns the ARTEMIS technology. Estrella has a license agreement with Eureka to utilize ARTEMIS technology for CD19 and CD22-targeted T-cell therapies. Dr. Cheng Liu, Estrella's CEO and President, is also the Founder, President, and CEO of Eureka Therapeutics.
• Imugene LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Imugene Limited and its product candidate CF33-CD19t, an oncolytic virus, to research the use of EB103 in conjunction with CF33-CD19t to treat solid tumors using a 'mark and kill' strategy. This partnership expands Estrella's pipeline to address solid tumors beyond blood cancers.
• Winston & Strawn LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal counsel to the company for the January 2026 financing transactions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gilead Sciences (Kite Pharma): Markets Yescarta and Tecartus, the leading approved CD19 CAR-T therapies for R/R B-cell NHL. Direct competitor to Estrella's lead candidate EB103 in the same indication, with established commercial infrastructure, real-world evidence base, and manufacturing scale.
• Novartis: Markets Kymriah, the first FDA-approved CD19 CAR-T therapy for R/R B-cell NHL and ALL. Competes head-to-head with EB103 in the same patient population with an entrenched franchise and global commercial reach.
• Bristol-Myers Squibb: Markets Breyanzi, a CD19 CAR-T approved for R/R B-cell NHL. Direct competitor to EB103 with established physician relationships and a growing real-world dataset in aggressive B-cell lymphomas.
• Allogene Therapeutics: Clinical-stage company developing allogeneic (off-the-shelf) CAR-T therapies for hematologic cancers including CD19-targeted candidates. Comparable in clinical-stage status and competing in the same R/R B-cell NHL space.
• Caribou Biosciences: Clinical-stage allogeneic CAR-T developer with CD19 programs for B-cell malignancies. Direct peer in the autologous/allogeneic CD19 CAR-T space with similar clinical-stage profile.
• CRISPR Therapeutics: Developing gene-edited allogeneic CAR-T therapies including CD19-targeted candidates for B-cell malignancies. Comparable in modality and clinical-stage development, with significant capital backing.
• Autolus Therapeutics: Clinical-stage CAR-T developer with CD19 and other hematologic targets. Comparable in clinical-stage positioning and competing in the R/R B-cell NHL space with next-generation CAR-T constructs.
• Adicet Bio: Developing gamma-delta T cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases, including CD19-directed candidates. Closely comparable to Estrella's ARTEMIS platform, which also leverages gamma/delta TCR architecture.
• Nkarta: Clinical-stage developer of allogeneic NK cell therapies for cancer and autoimmune disease, including CD19-directed candidates. Comparable in targeting autoimmune (SLE) indications via cell therapy, similar to Estrella's EB201 program.

Others

• Eureka Therapeutics: Estrella's parent company and licensor of the ARTEMIS technology platform. While not a direct commercial competitor, Eureka is the originating developer of Estrella's core technology and shares leadership with Estrella, making it a strategically relevant ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Estrella Immunopharma