Just weeks after the ASCO Annual Meeting, researchers from around the world gathered in Stockholm, Sweden, for the European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress, held June 11-14, 2026. While some important mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) studies were presented at both meetings, EHA also featured new data on several promising treatments.
Below are some of the most notable MCL-related presentations and what they could mean for patients and families.
BAFF-R CAR-T Therapy Shows Deep and Durable Responses in Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Why is this study important to you?
CAR-T therapy has transformed mantle cell lymphoma treatment, but many MCL patients eventually relapse. One reason is that lymphoma cells can stop showing a protein on their surface, called CD19, that is targeted by current CAR-T therapies such as Tecartus (brexu-cel) and Breyanzi (liso-cel).
Researchers are now developing a new CAR-T therapy called PMB-CT01 that targets a different protein called BAFF-R, which is found on the surface of many mantle cell lymphoma cells. Because BAFF-R may still be present even when CD19 is lost, it could provide a new way to attack lymphoma cells that have become resistant to earlier CAR-T treatment.
What are the details about the study?
In this early study, six people with mantle cell lymphoma were treated. Four achieved complete remission, and highly sensitive testing found no lymphoma detectable at the molecular level in all four patients. All four remained in remission nearly two years after treatment.
While the number of patients was small, the results were encouraging and suggest BAFF-R may be a promising new target for CAR-T therapy. Researchers are now expanding the study of PMB-CT01 in mantle cell lymphoma and other B-cell lymphomas.
Where can I find more information?
In Vivo CAR-T Therapy Continues to Gain Momentum
Why is this study important to you?
Innovation in CAR-T therapy was a recurring theme at EHA 2026, with researchers exploring ways to make these treatments faster, simpler, and available to more patients.
In our ASCO 2026 summary, we highlighted early results from an experimental “in vivo” CAR-T that aims to create CAR-T cells directly inside a patient’s body rather than collecting the cells from the body, manufacturing them in a laboratory, and then infusing them back into the patient. EHA 2026 featured another in vivo CAR-T study, and the early results were even more encouraging.
What are the details about the study?
Researchers presented initial results from a Phase 1 study of LB2501, an in vivo CAR-T therapy being developed by Legend Biotech, the company behind Carvykti, a commercially available CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma. Like other in vivo CAR-T approaches, LB2501 is designed to turn a patient’s own T cells into CAR-T cells inside the body through a single infusion.
The study included six patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the reported dose level. All six responded to treatment, and five achieved a complete remission. At the time of the report, all responses were ongoing.
While the study was small, the results represent some of the strongest data yet for in vivo CAR-T therapy. For patients, the potential significance is clear: if these approaches continue to succeed, CAR-T therapy could eventually become easier to access by reducing the need for cell collection, specialized manufacturing, and weeks of waiting before treatment can begin.
Where can I find more information?
Could Sonrotoclax Move Earlier in Treatment?
Why is this study important to you?
On May 13, 2026, the FDA approved sonrotoclax for patients whose mantle cell lymphoma has already been treated with at least two prior therapies. Researchers are now studying whether sonrotoclax can be used earlier in treatment, when the disease returns for the first time. Sonrotoclax is the first BCL-2 inhibitor approved specifically for mantle cell lymphoma in the United States.
What are the details about the study?
At EHA 2026, researchers shared updated results from an early study of sonrotoclax plus zanubrutinib, an approved BTK inhibitor, that helped launch an ongoing follow-on trial about this drug combination. The results are encouraging. More than 80% of patients responded to this treatment, nearly 60% achieved a complete remission, and more than 80% of those complete remissions were still ongoing at the time of the report.
However, it is worth noting that patients who received sonrotoclax plus zanubrutinib encountered more serious side effects than patients who received zanubrutinib alone. Patients should talk with their own care team about the potential benefits and risks of any treatment option.
The follow-on study, not reported in this abstract, is evaluating whether adding sonrotoclax to zanubrutinib leads to better outcomes than zanubrutinib alone. If successful, the combination could become a new treatment option for patients experiencing their first relapse.
Where can I find more information?
Rituximab Maintenance Benefits Confirmed After BR
Why is this study important to you?
The role of rituximab maintenance after bendamustine-rituximab (BR) has been debated in mantle cell lymphoma, with some studies showing benefit and others showing no clear advantage. To help answer the question, researchers combined data from six studies involving more than 2,400 patients.
What are the details about the study?
The analysis found that patients who received rituximab maintenance after BR remained in remission longer and lived longer than those who did not, providing strong support for its continued use after first-line BR treatment.
Where can I find more information?
Other MCL Studies At A Glance
In addition to the studies highlighted above, EHA 2026 featured dozens of other mantle cell lymphoma presentations spanning new treatments, CAR-T innovations, real-world outcomes, and emerging research. Here are two additional findings that caught our attention.
- Researchers studied a new potential CAR-T target called CD22, a protein found on the surface of mantle cell lymphoma cells, in an early Phase 1 study presented at EHA 2026. Among eight high-risk MCL patients, all responded to treatment, seven achieved a complete remission, and seven had no detectable disease by highly sensitive testing. However, remissions were not durable for many of the MCL patients. Study abstract (EHA 2026)
- Patients with mantle cell lymphoma and other B-cell cancers often have low antibody levels, which can leave them vulnerable to infections. This study found that giving replacement antibodies through intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy was associated with a substantial reduction in both overall infections and serious infections that required significant medical care. Study abstract (EHA 2026)
The research presented at EHA 2026 reflects the continued momentum in mantle cell lymphoma research, with investigators exploring new treatment approaches and building on recent advances. MCLA will continue to provide timely, patient-focused coverage of key research developments, including the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, December 12-15, 2026.