Agenus reports mixed results from gastroesophageal cancer trial

Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ: AGEN) announced results from a Phase II trial testing a combination therapy in patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancer who had previously failed PD-1 treatment.

The study examined 17 patients treated with botensilimab, balstilimab, and agenT-797 combined with ramucirumab and paclitaxel. The trial achieved a disease control rate of 77% across all patients, with some patients surviving beyond 20 months.

Patients who received an induction treatment cycle showed longer progression-free survival compared to those who began the full combination immediately. The induction group had a median progression-free survival of 6.9 months versus 3.5 months for the non-induction group. Overall survival was 9.5 months in the induction cohort compared to 5.2 months without induction.

The study did not meet its primary endpoint of overall response rate. However, the company noted that 43% of induction-treated patients remained alive at both 12 and 18 months, compared to 20% and 0% respectively in the non-induction group.

The treatment was associated with immune system changes including increased T cell and dendritic cell infiltration in tumors and activation of peripheral immune cells. The safety profile aligned with the component medications, with common side effects including fatigue, fever, diarrhea, and nausea.

The data were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting. The trial was conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and represents the first study combining these specific therapies in gastroesophageal cancer patients.

Agenus stated that additional analysis of biospecimen data is ongoing to better understand immune mechanisms and identify potential biomarkers for patient selection.

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