Tempest Therapeutics (Nasdaq: TPST) announced a development collaboration with Hebei Senlang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. for TPST-4003, an in vivo CAR-T product candidate targeting autoimmune diseases, according to a press release issued July 21, 2026.

Under the agreement, Senlang will conduct an investigator-initiated trial of TPST-4003 in China, enrolling approximately 10 patients with myasthenia gravis or multiple sclerosis. First patient dosing is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, with initial safety and pharmacodynamic data anticipated as early as the first half of 2027.

TPST-4003 combines CD7-targeted mRNA/LNP delivery with a dual-target CD19/BCMA CAR construct designed to deplete B-cell lineages. The trial will assess safety, cellular kinetics, CAR-T cell generation and expansion, CAR transgene copy number, and B-cell depletion.

The agreement also grants Senlang an exclusive option to negotiate a definitive license agreement for TPST-4003 in China.

"Through this partnership, we plan to rapidly and efficiently advance into first-in-human studies to generate clinical evidence in support of our next generation in vivo CAR-T pipeline and platform technologies," said Matt Angel, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Tempest.

Shengmin Guo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Senlang Biotechnology, said the company aims to "combine our CD7 expertise with Tempest's innovative CD7-targeted mRNA/LNP delivery platform and clinically validated CD19/BCMA CAR architecture to advance TPST-4003 into first-in-human studies."

Senlang is currently advancing multiple CD7 CAR-T programs, including a pivotal trial for relapsed or refractory T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma and leukemia.