April 2026: As at 15 April, the Malaghan Institute's ENABLE-2 clinical trial of a new CAR T-cell therapy has reached its midway point, with the 30th patient treated and the trial tracking towards its goal of 60 patients treated by the end of 2026.

Malaghan Institute Clinical Director Professor Robert Weinkove says the milestone is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in the trial as it continues to ready the public system for delivering CAR T-cell therapies.

"With treatment of trial participants in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, clinicians and their teams across the country are gaining critical experience and capability in CAR T-cell delivery. We hope this will help New Zealand advance CAR T-cell therapies as a future standard of care."

ENABLE-2 got underway in July 2024 on the back of promising phase 1 trial results that suggest improved safety compared with leading commercial CAR T-cell therapies, while remaining highly effective for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. With automated manufacturing of patients' CAR T-cells by the Malaghan Institute's partner BioOra Limited, the phase 2 trial expanded to three sites in February 2025, increasing the pace at which patients could be enrolled and treated.

The ENABLE-2 team at Malaghan Institute of Medical Research. Photo: Malaghan.

April 2026: Researchers from the Bragato Research Institute have reported encouraging findings from the first growing season of the Next Generation Viticulture (NGV) programme in Marlborough. The initiative is testing innovative grapevine training systems designed to improve vineyard profitability, reduce labour costs, and enhance sustainability while maintaining New Zealand's premium wine quality.

Trials across seven vineyard sites are comparing three alternative canopy systems (6V, 9V and 12V) with standard cane-pruned methods. Early results from two Sauvignon blanc sites show the new systems promote faster early-season canopy development and significantly higher yields, driven by increased bunch numbers.

While sugar accumulation was generally fastest in standard systems, the 6V treatment achieved comparable ripeness with only minor delays. Importantly, vine vigour in 6V remained moderate, suggesting potential to reduce intensive canopy management practices.

Researchers say the findings indicate these new systems could improve efficiency without compromising fruit quality. Further analysis, including wine sensory results, will follow in future reports.

Season one viticulture results from the Next Generation Viticulture programme. Photo: Bragato Research Institute.