Botensilimab/Balstilimab Clinical Activity in Refractory Sarcomas to be Presented in Oral Session at ESMO 2024

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Agenus Inc. (“Agenus”) (Nasdaq: AGEN), a leader in developing novel immunological agents to treat various cancers, today announced that updated data from the clinical trial of botensilimab and balstilimab in refractory sarcomas will be featured in a mini oral presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, taking place September 13-17, 2024, in Barcelona, Spain.

The presentation will feature updated efficacy and safety data from the large, ongoing Phase 1 trial, highlighting the potential of this combination therapy in treating patients with refractory sarcomas, including visceral angiosarcoma and leiomyosarcoma, populations with limited therapeutic options. Botensilimab, a novel investigational Fc-enhanced CTLA-4 inhibitor, and balstilimab, an investigational PD-1 antibody, have shown promising clinical responses in multiple tumor types, including "cold" tumors that are typically unresponsive to standard therapies.

Presentation Details:

Abstract Title: Updated efficacy and safety of botensilimab plus balstilimab in patients with refractory metastatic sarcoma from an expanded phase 1 study

Abstract Number: 1726MO

Presenting Author: Breelyn A. Wilky, MD, University of Colorado Cancer Center

Session: Mini Oral Session, Sarcoma

Session Date and Time: Friday, September 13^th, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. CEST (10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ET)

Complete abstracts are available through the ESMO Congress program. The presentation will also be available in the publications section of the Agenus website following the ESMO Congress on Friday, September 13th.

About Botensilimab

Botensilimab is an investigational human Fc enhanced CTLA-4 blocking antibody designed to boost both innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune responses. Its novel design leverages mechanisms of action to extend immunotherapy benefits to “cold” tumors which generally respond poorly to standard of care or are refractory to conventional PD-1/CTLA-4 therapies and investigational therapies. Botensilimab augments immune responses across a wide range of tumor types by priming and activating T cells, downregulating intratumoral regulatory T cells, activating myeloid cells and inducing long-term memory responses.

Approximately 1,100 patients have been treated with botensilimab in phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials. Botensilimab alone, or in combination with Agenus’ investigational PD-1 antibody, balstilimab, has shown clinical responses across nine metastatic, late-line cancers. For more information about botensilimab trials, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov with the identifiers NCT03860272, NCT05608044, NCT05630183, and NCT05529316.

About Agenus

Agenus is a leading immuno-oncology company targeting cancer with a comprehensive pipeline of immunological agents. The company was founded in 1994 with a mission is to expand patient populations benefiting from cancer immunotherapy through combination approaches, using a broad repertoire of antibody therapeutics, adoptive cell therapies (through MiNK Therapeutics) and adjuvants (through SaponiQx). Agenus has robust end-to-end development capabilities, across commercial and clinical cGMP manufacturing facilities, research and discovery, and a global clinical operations footprint. Agenus is headquartered in Lexington, MA. For more information, visit www.agenusbio.com or @agenus_bio. Information that may be important to investors will be routinely posted on our website and social media channels.

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 its botensilimab and balstilimab programs, expected regulatory timelines and filings, and any other statements containing the words "may," "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "hopes," "intends," "plans," "forecasts," "estimates," "will," “establish,” “potential,” “superiority,” “best in class,” 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2023, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q 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.