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ImPact Biotech Presents Updated Data from Phase 3 ENLIGHTED Trial of Padeliporfin VTP in LG-UTUC at AUA 2026

Complete response (CR) observed in 70% (50/72) of evaluable patients with low-grade upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) who completed Primary Response Evaluation (PRE)

Updated durability data shows 85.7% (18/21) of patients who completed the Maintenance Treatment Phase (MTP) sustained CRs in the treated area for at least 12 months as of the data cutoff date

– Padeliporfin VTP treatment continues to be safe and well-tolerated, establishing profile consistent with prior results alongside additional follow-up in MTP –

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ImPact Biotech, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing Padeliporfin Vascular Targeted Photodynamic therapy (VTP) to treat a range of solid tumors, today announced updated results from ENLIGHTED, the Company’s ongoing Phase 3 study of Padeliporfin VTP treatment in patients with low-grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). These data will be shared during a podium presentation and in an interactive poster at the American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting taking place May 15-18, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

“These updated efficacy and durability results from the Phase 3 ENLIGHTED trial continue to reinforce Padeliporfin VTP’s potential to become an attractive alternative, minimally invasive ureteroscopic treatment option for patients with low-grade UTUC,” said Eyal Morag, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of ImPact Biotech. “The promising complete response rate and encouraging durability observed to date, alongside a well-established safety profile, further support the opportunity to provide a meaningful organ-sparing treatment for patients with limited options in UTUC and additional solid tumor indications. We look forward to sharing topline data from ENLIGHTED later this year and preparing for regulatory submission in 2027, while exploring strategic opportunities to commercialize the program and maximize Padeliporfin VTP’s impact for UTUC patients facing great unmet need.”

Key updated results from the ongoing Phase 3 ENLIGHTED study of Padeliporfin VTP: 

As of April 20, 2026, the data cut-off for the poster presentation at AUA 2026, 82 patients had begun treatment, of which 72 had completed PRE and were evaluable for efficacy.

Efficacy Profile:

  • Overall response rate: 88%
  • 50 of the 72 (70%) response-evaluable patients achieved a CR at the end of PRE.
  • 13 of the 72 (18%) response-evaluable patients achieved a partial response (PR) at the end of PRE.

Durability Profile:

  • 18 of the 21 (85.7%) response-evaluable patients who completed the Maintenance Treatment Phase (MTP) sustained CRs in the treated area for at least 12 months as of the data cutoff date, with additional patients ongoing the MTP that have yet to complete the 12-month evaluation period. Padeliporfin VTP treatment has demonstrated evidence of efficacy and durability.
  • The current median duration of response (DoR) in the treated area for evaluable patients is 23.9 months based on available follow-up, with ongoing responses still being observed.

Safety and Tolerability Profile:

  • Padeliporfin VTP was well-tolerated with a safety profile consistent with the previous data obtained from the Phase 1 study and previously announced preliminary Phase 3 results. Padeliporfin VTP treatment has demonstrated a consistent and acceptable safety profile.
  • Adverse events (AEs): the majority of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were mild or moderate, primarily related to the ureteroscopic procedure, and resolved within a few days. Two patients had Grade 3 serious adverse events related to VTP treatment which resolved within two days. No TEAEs of special interest were reported and no TEAE led to discontinuation of the study treatment.

While the Company is pursuing strategic partnering opportunities to support the commercialization of its low-grade UTUC program, ImPact recently presented initial data supporting the advancement of Padeliporfin VTP in locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (LA-PDAC) at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) 2026 Annual Meeting, which demonstrated a consistent tolerability profile alongside early signs of clinical efficacy, showing potential to convert patients with unresectable stage III LA tumors to surgically resectable candidates.

Additional updates from both programs will be presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, taking place May 29 – June 2, 2026, in Chicago, IL.

AUA Presentation Details:

Interactive Poster Title: The ENLIGHTED Phase 3 Trial: Advancing Treatment of Low-Grade Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma (LG UTUC) with Padeliporfin Vascular-Targeted Photodynamic Therapy (VTP)
Presenter: Vitaly Margulis, M.D., Professor of Urologic Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Poster Number: IP30-04
Session Title: Bladder Cancer: Upper Tract Transitional Cell Carcinoma I
Session Date & Time: Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 7:00 AM ET

Podium Presentation Title: ENLIGHTED Phase 3 Trial of Non-Thermal, Drug-Activated Padeliporfin Vascular-Targeted Photodynamic Therapy (VTP) for Low-Grade Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma (LG UTUC)
Presenter: Jonathan Coleman, M.D., Urologic Surgeon, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Session Title: Clinical Trials in Progress: Bladder Cancer
Session Date & Time: Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 9:16 AM ET

About ENLIGHTED
The Phase 3 ENLIGHTED study is a single arm, non-randomized, open-label, pivotal trial evaluating Padeliporfin VTP for the treatment of low-grade UTUC. Across 29 clinical sites globally, ImPact is targeting enrollment of up to 100 patients with new or recurrent low-grade, non-invasive UTUC of
the kidney or ureter. The study consists of two parts – an Induction Treatment Phase (ITP) and Maintenance Treatment Phase (MTP) – across which Padeliporfin, a photosensitizing drug, is administered intravenously and VTP therapy is performed, via an ureteroscopy which applies a laser fiber illumination for 10 minutes in the proximity of the tumor, leading to local activation of Padeliporfin in the tumor. ITP consists of one-to-three treatments with VTP therapy at four-week intervals or until a complete response (CR) is achieved; MTP follows with standard-of-care treatment alongside VTP therapy administered every three months for up to 12 months. The study’s primary objective is to assess the response rate to Padeliporfin VTP treatment at the end of ITP, with secondary objectives evaluating safety, tolerability and duration of response.

About ImPact Biotech
ImPact Biotech is an advanced clinical-stage oncology company focused on the development and commercialization of Padeliporfin Vascular Targeted Photodynamic (VTP) therapy, a minimally invasive drug-device combination for selective ablation of solid tumors. The novel VTP platform delivers non-thermal laser light via optical fibers to locally activate Padeliporfin in the tumor microenvironment. Padeliporfin VTP is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 light dose escalation study in unresectable locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (LA-PDAC) and a pivotal Phase 3 study in low-grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) with earlier stage studies ongoing or planned in high-grade UTUC and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The Company has longstanding collaborations with the Weizmann Institute of Science and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and operations in the EU, Israel and the US. For more on ImPact Biotech Ltd., visit: www.impactbiotech.com and the ENLIGHTED clinical trial website (for the US): https://www.enlighted-study.com.

Contacts

Global Head of Business Development
Guy Schmidt
guy.schmidt@impactbiotech.com


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