Agenus reports Phase II results for BOT and BAL with agenT-797

The article reports Phase II data from an investigator‑initiated trial combining botensilimab (BOT) and balstilimab (BAL) with agenT‑797 in PD‑1 refractory gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, showing a 77% disease control rate and long‑term survival beyond 20 months in a subset; the induction arm showed longer PFS (6.9 vs. 3.5 months; HR 0.19; p=0.015) and OS (9.5 vs. 5.2 months).

The article reports that Agenus announced data from an investigator‑initiated Phase II trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The trial tested a combination that included botensilimab (BOT), balstilimab (BAL), agenT‑797 (MiNK's allo‑iNKT cell therapy), ramucirumab and paclitaxel in patients with advanced PD‑1 refractory gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma. The study was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting on April 17–22, 2026, in San Diego. The trial was designed to explore immune priming and treatment sequencing, using induction with agenT‑797 (alone or plus BOT/BAL) followed by the full combination or starting the combination without induction, with longitudinal biomarker sampling throughout. Key findings: - The regimen produced a 77% disease control rate (DCR) in the study population. - A subset of patients showed long‑term survival beyond 20 months. - The induction arm showed longer progression‑free survival (6.9 vs. 3.5 months; HR 0.19; p=0.015) compared with no induction. - Overall survival in the induction arm was reported as 9.5 vs. 5.2 months for the comparator arm. - Forty‑three percent of patients who received induction were alive at both 12 and 18 months. Summary: The reported results emphasize durability and survival signals in this PD‑1 refractory gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma population. Undetermined at this time.