LEXINGTON, Mass., Jan. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Agenus Inc.
(NASDAQ: AGEN), an immuno-oncology company with a pipeline of
immune checkpoint antibodies and cancer vaccines, today announced
the launch of its combination trial with its proprietary anti-CTLA4
(AGEN1884) and anti-PD1 (AGEN2034) antibodies. This Phase 1/2
clinical trial launched in December
2017 and enrollment into the first cohort has been rapidly
completed.
The open-label Phase 1/2 study is designed to evaluate the
safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and clinical activity of
combination AGEN1884 and AGEN2034 in patients with advanced solid
tumors. The optimal combination dose and schedule will be evaluated
in an expansion cohort of patients with inoperable cervical cancer
who have relapsed after platinum-containing chemotherapy.
"Speedy advancement of combination trials with our proprietary
CTLA-4 and PD-1 antibodies is key to our strategy of
commercializing our I-O agents. In addition, we believe both agents
are crucial for combinations with our portfolio of proprietary
immune oncology therapeutics," said Garo
Armen, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Agenus. "Our antibodies
were discovered, optimized, manufactured and advanced into the
clinic at record speed because of our fully integrated
capabilities."
AGEN1884 and AGEN2034 are fully human monoclonal antibodies
designed to block cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 or CTLA-4 and
programmed death 1 or PD-1, respectively. Other anti-CTLA-4 and
anti-PD-1 antibodies have demonstrated curative benefits for
patients with cancer. Agenus presented data demonstrating
that AGEN1884 and AGEN2034 in combination achieved the desired
pharmacologic function and synergy in pre-clinical studies
(link). Agenus has designed a non-exclusive access model for
these molecules and is currently in discussions with multiple third
parties to rapidly advance more effective combinations for patients
suffering from cancer.
Additional information about the trial can be found here.
AGEN1884 and AGEN2034 were developed under a Collaborative
Research and Development Agreement between Ludwig Cancer Research,
4-Antibody AG and Recepta Biopharma S.A.
About Agenus
Agenus is a clinical-stage
immune-oncology company focused on the discovery and development of
therapies that engage the body's immune system to fight cancer. The
Company's vision is to expand the patient populations benefiting
from cancer immunotherapy by pursuing a number of combination
approaches that leverage a broad repertoire of antibody
therapeutics and proprietary cancer vaccine platforms. The Company
is equipped with a suite of antibody discovery platforms and a
state-of-the-art GMP manufacturing facility with the capacity to
support early phase clinical programs. Agenus is headquartered
in Lexington, MA. For more information, please
visit www.agenusbio.com; information that may be important to
investors will be routinely posted on our website.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release
contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the
safe harbor provisions of the federal securities laws, including
statements regarding Agenus clinical trial plans and activities,
and the anticipated operations and benefits of our programs. These
forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks
and uncertainties include, among others, the factors described
under the Risk Factors section of our most recent Quarterly Report
on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Agenus cautions investors not
to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements
contained in this release. These statements speak only as of the
date of this press release, and Agenus undertakes no obligation to
update or revise the statements, other than to the
extent required by law. All forward-looking statements are
expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary
statement.
Contact:
Agenus Inc.
Jennifer Buell, PhD
781-674-4420
Jennifer.Buell@agenusbio.com
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SOURCE Agenus