Agenus Announces Late-Breaking Oral Presentation at ESMO-GI and Strategies to Advance Botensilimab
May 24 2022 - 8:30AM
Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ: AGEN), an immuno-oncology company with an
extensive pipeline of therapeutics designed to activate immune
response to cancers and infections, today announced that its
innate/adaptive immune activator, botensilimab, will be the subject
of a late-breaking oral presentation at the upcoming ESMO World
Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona, Spain. In
addition, Agenus also announced broad efficiencies expected to
reduce costs by 20% and drive botensilimab’s accelerated
development.
“MSS colorectal cancer is one of the tumor types where single
agent checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1/PD-L1 have not shown
significant activity; in contrast, we are seeing deep and durable
responses using botensilimab and balstilimab in these heavily
pretreated MSS colorectal patients,” said Anthony El-Khoueiry, MD,
Phase I Program Director at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer
Center, Keck Medicine of USC. “The activity noted with this
combination warrants advancing the program with further
trials”.i
Presentation Details:Abstract
Title: Botensilimab, a novel innate/adaptive immune
activator, plus balstilimab (anti-PD-1) for metastatic heavily
pretreated microsatellite stable colorectal cancer.Abstract
Number: LBA-O-9.Session: Presentation
of LBA Abstracts or Keynote.Date / Time: June
29, 2022, 1:05 PM - 1:25 PM.Presenting
Author: Dr. Anthony B. El-Khoueiry.
“The clinical activity of the combination of botensilimab and
balstilimab in heavily pretreated metastatic MSS colorectal cancer
is remarkable,” said Dr. Steven O’Day, CMO of Agenus. “Prior PD1
and PDL1 antibodies, with or without CTLA-4, have failed in this
same setting. These data in MSS CRC are further supported by
emerging clinical data in a wide range of poorly responsive solid
tumors. We look forward to advancing botensilimab alone and in
combination in the second half of 2022.”
Botensilimab is an immunotherapy with the potential to transform
the treatment landscape. A growing body of evidence supports
botensilimab’s broad activity in indications inadequately addressed
by currently approved treatments, and Agenus is focusing additional
resources to accelerate its development. In this regard, Agenus
will:
- Prioritize its clinical development programs.
- Automate and implement Vision and AI capabilities, as part of
effort to streamline discovery and development.
These measures will reduce Agenus’ operating expenses and allow
the company to prioritize its high potential programs, while
continuing to pursue creative financing mechanisms and/or potential
partnerships.
Agenus will also continue to advance clinical collaborations
designed to increase the potential value of botensilimab and other
clinical programs in new indications and combinations. These
studies are sponsored and executed by our partners, with drug
supply and scientific support provided by Agenus. Internally, the
company will continue to focus on botensilimab combinations which
inform its use as a foundational therapy; these combinations
include Agenus’ balstilimab (anti-PD-1), AGEN2373 (anti-CD137), and
AGEN1571 (anti-ILT2) antibodies, as well as chemotherapy.
“As we enter a period of unprecedented regulatory and financial
challenges for the biotech industry, Agenus is poised to
differentiate our capabilities and comprehensive portfolio. The
enthusiasm GI experts have shown, as evidenced by a prominent
presentation at ESMO GI, is very heartening, as is the accelerated
patient enrollment in our clinical trials. We believe the value of
botensilimab to be unmatched relative to existing therapies and
known development candidates, and we are moving with speed to bring
this potentially revolutionary treatment to patients in need,” CEO
of Agenus, Dr. Garo Armen.
Agenus’ plans include initiation of three phase 2 studies in
2022 (MSS colorectal cancer, melanoma and pancreatic cancer).
About BotensilimabBotensilimab (also known as
AGEN1181) is a next-generation, Fc-enhanced, immunoglobulin G1
(IgG1) antibody which has shown significant activity in activating
both the innate and adaptive immune response. It is also designed
to block CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen 4)
inhibitory function from interacting with its ligands CD80 and
CD86. The Fc region of the antibody was engineered to enhance
immune activation and tumor killing, improve safety, and benefit a
broader patient population versus first-generation anti CTLA-4
antibodies which act as a negative regulator of immune activation
that is considered a foundational mechanism.
About AgenusAgenus is a clinical-stage
immuno-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 combination approaches that
leverage a broad repertoire of antibody therapeutics, adoptive cell
therapies (through its subsidiary MiNK Therapeutics), and adjuvants
(through its subsidiary SaponiQx). 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 clinical
programs. Agenus is headquartered in Lexington, MA. For more
information, please visit www.agenusbio.com and our Twitter handle
@agenus_bio. Information that may be important to investors will be
routinely posted on our website and Twitter.
Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release
contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the
safe harbor provisions of the federal securities laws, including
statements relating to the use of therapeutic candidates
botensilimab, balstilimab, AGEN2373 and AGEN1571, for instance,
statements regarding therapeutic benefit and efficacy, mechanism of
action, potency, durability, and safety profile of the therapeutic
candidates, both alone and in combination with each other and/or
other agents; future clinical and regulatory development plans and
commercialization plans for botensilimab, balstilimab, AGEN2373 and
AGEN1571; and any other statements containing the words "may,"
"believes," "expects," "anticipates," "hopes," "intends," "plans,"
"will" and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. 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.
ContactEthan Lovell, Chief External
Affairs & Communications OfficerAgenus
Inc.339-927-1763ethan.lovell@agenusbio.com
i Anthony El-Khoueiry, MD has provided paid consulting services
for Agenus. The nature of this conflict and the management of the
conflict of interest have been reviewed by the USC Conflict of
Interest Review Committee (CIRC).
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