June 2 (Reuters) - Legend Biotech's LEGN.O experimental therapy showed early signs that its approach of generating disease-fighting cells within patients may work for a type of blood cancer, the company said on Tuesday.

Unlike traditional ​CAR-T therapies that ⁠require cells to be modified outside the body, Legend is working on a way to generate them inside patients using LB2501, a dual-targeting in vivo CAR-T therapy.

The new therapy is designed to generate CAR-T cells directly within the patient through a single, direct infusion, eliminating the need for ex vivo cell engineering and manufacturing.

In the highly anticipated early-stage trial, 12 patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma were treated across two dose levels as of April 1.

In the higher-dose cohort, the preliminary data showed all six patients responded, while five had a complete response.

Legend did not share additional dose-level details and said further data would be shared at a medical meeting later this month.

CAR-T cells were detected in peripheral blood for up to 116 days, the company said.

"By generating CAR-T cells directly within the patient, this approach has the potential to simplify treatment delivery and expand access for patients who may not be able to receive traditional CAR-T cell therapies," said CEO Ying Huang.

While a longer follow-up is warranted, the data highlights the potential of LB2501 as a scalable, readily accessible "off-the-shelf" immunotherapy for B-cell malignancies, Legend said.

Traditional therapies involve removing a patient's T cells, which are a key component of the immune system, after which they are re-engineered to recognize and attack malignant cells once they are reinfused.

Legend said no dose-limiting toxicities, serious adverse events or fatal cases were reported. Infusion-related reactions occurred in nine patients, but were resolved within a two-day median, it said.

Several pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly have recently struck deals in the in vivo CAR-T field.