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Agenus Announces Late-Breaking Oral Presentation at ESMO-GI and Strategies to Advance Botensilimab
Data to be Presented in Heavily Pretreated MSS-CRCSpeed and Innovation Core to Development StrategyReduction of 20% in 2022 Operating Costs LEXINGTON, Mass.,
About this update from Agenus Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Data to be Presented in Heavily Pretreated MSS-CRCSpeed and Innovation Core to Development StrategyReduction of 20% in 2022 Operating Costs LEXINGTON, Mass., May 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 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....