Follicular lymphoma is a type of slow-growing blood cancer affecting B lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that plays a critical role in immunity. There are many types of lymphomas but follicular is distinctive because of its tendency to grow slowly, starting in the follicules of lymph nodes and then expanding outwards. There are multiple approaches for treating the disease including an early observational phase known as ‘watch and wait’ where physicians monitor patients to identify symptoms that could justify a pharmaceutical treatment.
According to at least one academic study, the introduction of monoclonal antibodies, including rituximab, has changed the paradigm. The question now is whether there is scope for alternatives to the standard watch and wait regime.
Enterome SA of France believes there is, based on recent data from two cohorts of a Phase 2 trial of its lead immunotherapy EO2463. The data were disclosed on 9 December 2025 at a meeting of the American Society for Hematology in Florida, US. They showed that EO2463, a peptide-based immunotherapy, generated strong responses in two cohorts of patients: one group had untreated, low-burden follicular lymphoma and the other, newly diagnosed marginal zone lymphoma or follicular lymphoma.
The first group of six patients received EO2463 in combination with rituximab, a targeted monoclonal antibody for the disease. This group consisted of six patients. Of the six, five had a complete response to treatment and one had a partial response. A second group of 21 received EO2463 as a monotherapy. The overall response rate for this group, which included newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma or marginal zine lymphoma, had an overall response rate of 47.6%. These patients were given the drug as an alternative to a watch and wait approach.
“[The] current standard of practice is that, while patients often have visibly swollen lymph nodes, no treatment other than watchful waiting is suggested as long as they do not show troublesome symptoms. Nevertheless, these patients often are understandably anxious about their disease which progresses in the majority of cases, and then leads to a decreased quality of life,” the company said in a statement.
EO2463 is an immunotherapy that combines four synthetic peptides that mimic B lymphocyte-specific lineage markers with the goal of destroying malignant B lymphocytes. The peptides are derived from bacterial proteins which can mobilise memory T cells quickly for the destruction of the cancer. The memory T cells are said to exhibit strong cytotoxic functions and persist in the body, providing sustained surveillance and protection against a recurrence of the disease.
In June 2025, Enterome raised $19 million from the Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation, US, and other investors. Plans are afoot for a Phase 3 trial, testing the therapy in the watch and wait setting, according to the company’s CEO Pierre Belichard.
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