NEEDHAM, Mass., Oct. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Candel Therapeutics, Inc. (Candel or the Company) (NASDAQ:CADL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing multimodal immunotherapies to improve disease outcomes for patients with cancer, today announced that the Company will present data from its aglatimagene besadenovec program in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with progressive NSCLC despite immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment, as well as clinical and mechanistic findings from its phase 1b clinical trial of linoserpaturev in recurrent glioblastoma, through two accepted poster presentations at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer's (SITC) 41st Annual Meeting, taking place November 4-8, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Aglatimagene besadenovec – NSCLC

Title: Multi-omics analyses reveal intratumoral and systemic immune activation to aglatimagene besadenovec+valacyclovir related to improved survival in patients with progressive NSCLC despite ICI treatment

Presenter: Caroline Duault, PharmD, PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Stanford University

Abstract Number: 603

Session Date: Friday, November 6, 2026

Location: Phoenix Convention Center - North Building - Lower Level - Exhibition Halls 4, 5 and 6

Linoserpaturev - Recurrent Glioblastoma

Title: Combining linoserpaturev with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) blockade to overcome hypoxia-associated immune suppression in glioblastoma

Presenter: Francesca Barone, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Candel Therapeutics

Abstract Number: 468

Session Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026

Location: Phoenix Convention Center - North Building - Lower Level - Exhibition Halls 4, 5 and 6

About aglatimagene besadenovec

Aglatimagene besadenovec (aglatimagene), Candel’s most advanced multimodal biological immunotherapy candidate, is an investigational, off-the-shelf, replication-defective adenovirus designed to deliver the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene to a patient’s tumor. After intratumoral administration, HSV-tk enzyme activity results in conversion of prodrug (valacyclovir) into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-incorporating nucleotide analogs, leading to immunogenic cell death in cells exhibiting DNA damage and proliferating cells, with subsequent release of a variety of tumor (neo)antigens in the tumor microenvironment. At the same time, the adenoviral serotype 5 capsid proteins promote inflammation through the induction of expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules. Together, this regimen is designed to induce an individualized and specific CD8+ T cell-mediated response against the injected tumor and uninjected distant metastases for broad anti-tumor activity, based on in situ immunization against a variety of tumor antigens. Aglatimagene has the potential to treat a broad range of solid tumors. Encouraging monotherapy activity as well as combination activity with standard of care radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors have previously been shown in several nonclinical and clinical settings. More than 1,000 patients have been dosed with aglatimagene in clinical trials with a favorable tolerability profile to date, supporting the potential for use with standard of care, when indicated. Aglatimagene is currently not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other regulatory authority for any use.

About linoserpaturev

Linoserpaturev is a first-in-class, replication-competent, next-generation oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) immunotherapy candidate designed for dual activity for oncolysis and immune activation in a single therapeutic. In October 2023, the Company announced that Nature published results from the ongoing clinical trial where linoserpaturev was reported to be generally well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicity. In the clinical trial, the investigators observed improved median overall survival compared to historical controls after a single linoserpaturev injection in this therapy-resistant condition¹. The Company and academic collaborators are currently supported by Break Through Cancer to evaluate the effects of repeated linoserpaturev injections in patients with recurrent glioblastoma in an expansion cohort from the phase 1b clinical trial. In October 2025, an original manuscript, published in Science Translational Medicine reported collected findings from a comprehensive analysis of 97 serial tumor biopsies collected from two patients treated with repeated administrations of linoserpaturev in arm C. Linoserpaturev previously received Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of recurrent high-grade glioma (rHGG) from the FDA.

About Candel Therapeutics

Candel is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing off-the-shelf multimodal biological immunotherapies that elicit an individualized, systemic anti-tumor immune response to help patients fight cancer. Candel has established two clinical-stage multimodal biological immunotherapy platforms based on novel, genetically modified adenovirus and herpes simplex virus (HSV) gene constructs, respectively. Aglatimagene besadenovec (aglatimagene) is the lead product candidate from the adenovirus platform. The Company completed successful phase 2a clinical trials of aglatimagene in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and a pivotal, placebo-controlled, phase 3 clinical trial of aglatimagene in localized prostate cancer, conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment agreed with the FDA and published in The Lancet Oncology. The FDA also granted Fast Track Designation and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy Designation to aglatimagene for the treatment of newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer in patients with intermediate- to high-risk disease, Fast Track Designation in NSCLC, and both Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designation to aglatimagene for the treatment of PDAC.

Linoserpaturev is the lead product candidate from the HSV platform and is currently in an ongoing phase 1b clinical trial in rHGG. Finally, Candel’s enLIGHTEN™ Discovery Platform is a systematic, iterative HSV-based discovery platform leveraging human biology and advanced analytics to create new viral immunotherapies for solid tumors.

For more information about Candel, visit: www.candeltx.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain disclosures that contain "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, express or implied statements regarding the timing and advancement of current and future development programs; expectations regarding the therapeutic benefit of the Company’s platforms, including the ability of its platforms to improve overall survival and/or disease-free survival of patients living with difficult-to-treat, solid tumors; and expectations regarding the potential benefits conferred by regulatory designations. The words "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "project," "potential," "continue," "target" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties related to the timing and advancement of development programs; expectations regarding the therapeutic benefit of the Company’s programs; that final data from the Company’s nonclinical studies and completed clinical trials may differ materially from reported interim data from ongoing studies and trials; the Company’s ability to efficiently discover and develop product candidates; the Company’s ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of product candidates; the Company’s ability to maintain its intellectual property; the implementation of the Company’s business model, including strategic plans for the Company’s business and product candidates; the impact of the Company’s existing and any future indebtedness on its ability to operate its business; the Company’s ability to access any future tranches under its debt facility and to comply with all of its obligations thereunder; and other risks identified in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, each as filed with the SEC and any subsequent filings with the SEC. The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent the Company’s views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date.

Investor Contact

Theodore Jenkins

Vice President, Investor Relations, and Business Development

Candel Therapeutics, Inc.

tjenkins@candeltx.com

Media Contact

Ben Shannon

ICR Healthcare

CandelPR@icrhealthcare.com