Oncopeptides to Present Preclinical Data on Novel NK-Cell Engager at AACR 2026

New bispecific engager combined with expanded NK cells shows promise in multiple myeloma model

Apr. 13, 2026 at 11:36am

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A highly abstract, textured painting in shades of blue, purple, and orange, featuring sweeping geometric shapes and precise biological spirals, conceptually representing the complex interactions between cancer cells and the immune system's NK cells.Oncopeptides' novel NK-cell engager harnesses the power of the innate immune system to fight multiple myeloma, offering a promising new approach to this difficult-to-treat cancer.San Diego Today

Oncopeptides, a Swedish biotech company focused on difficult-to-treat cancers, announced that new preclinical data for its proprietary SPiKE platform has been accepted for presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026. The study evaluates a novel NK-cell engager in combination with an NK cell product in multiple myeloma, demonstrating significant inhibition of tumor growth in a humanized mouse model.

Why it matters

The research showcases the innovative potential of Oncopeptides' SPiKE platform to redirect the innate immune system and develop a new class of immunotherapies that could overcome limitations of current T-cell-directed treatments for multiple myeloma, a difficult-to-treat cancer.

The details

The presentation, titled "Preclinical efficacy of a bispecific NK cell engager studied using a humanized multiple myeloma mouse model," details the synergistic effects of combining Oncopeptides' affibody-derived bispecific engager with expanded adaptive NK cells (ADAPT-NK). The study was a collaborative effort within the Eurostars-funded NK ENGAGE project, involving leading academic institutions, Pharmatest Services, and Oncopeptides.

  • The AACR Annual Meeting 2026 will be held in San Diego, California between April 17-22, 2026.
  • The poster presentation is scheduled for 9:00am-12:00pm on April 20, 2026.

The players

Oncopeptides AB

A Swedish biotech company focusing on research, development and commercialization of targeted therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers.

Stefan Norin

Chief Medical Officer at Oncopeptides.

Mari I. Suominen

Research Director at Pharmatest Services.

NK ENGAGE project

A Eurostars-funded collaborative research project involving leading academic institutions, Pharmatest Services, and Oncopeptides.

Pharmatest Services

A contract research organization that collaborated on the research.

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What they’re saying

“Sharing these results at AACR allows us to showcase the innovative potential of our SPiKE platform to the global cancer research community.”

— Stefan Norin, Chief Medical Officer at Oncopeptides

“We are very pleased to see our research recognized by the AACR. The developed model replicates several aspects of the disease whereof lesions due to bone resorption is one of them. The efficient tumor cell lysis observed in these models reinforce our belief that NK-cell engagers could become a vital component in the future treatment landscape for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. We look forward to discussing these findings with our peers in San Diego.”

— Mari I. Suominen, Research Director at Pharmatest Services

What’s next

Oncopeptides plans to present the preclinical data on its novel NK-cell engager at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026 in San Diego, California.

The takeaway

Oncopeptides' research on its SPiKE platform demonstrates the potential of NK-cell engagers to become a new class of immunotherapies that could overcome limitations of current T-cell-directed treatments for multiple myeloma, a difficult-to-treat cancer.