Latest news with #immuno-oncology
Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Xilio Therapeutics Appoints Akintunde Bello, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors
WALTHAM, Mass., June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xilio Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: XLO), a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing tumor-activated immuno-oncology therapies for people living with cancer, today announced the appointment of Akintunde (Tunde) Bello, Ph.D., to the company's board of directors. 'Tunde is an accomplished leader with a strong track record of successfully developing novel therapies across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including several important cancer immunotherapies for anti-CTLA-4, PD-1 and T-cell engager through all stages of development, and I am thrilled to welcome him to the board,' said Paul Clancy, chair of the board of directors of Xilio Therapeutics. 'With over 25 years of experience in oncology research and development, focused on translational medicine and clinical pharmacology at BMS and Pfizer, we look forward to benefitting from Tunde's extensive expertise as we advance toward the clinic with XTX501, our masked PD-1/IL-2 bi-specific, and our bi-specific and tri-specific masked T cell engager programs.' 'Xilio's innovative approach to developing tumor-activated immuno-oncology therapies presents an exciting opportunity to advance novel molecules, which hold the potential to overcome the limitations of current cancer treatments,' said Dr. Bello. 'I am honored to join Xilio's board of directors at this important time and look forward to contributing to Xilio's efforts to meaningfully improve outcomes for patients while minimizing systemic toxicities.' Akintunde Bello, Ph.D. Dr. Bello brings more than 25 years of oncology drug development and leadership experience to Xilio, with deep expertise in early translational medicine and clinical pharmacology across complex biologics and immunotherapies, including anti-CTLA-4 and PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors, T cell engagers and tumor-selective molecules. He most recently served as senior vice president, head of clinical pharmacology, pharmacometrics and bioanalysis at Bristol Myers Squibb Company (BMS) until his retirement in 2025. While at BMS, Dr. Bello oversaw clinical pharmacology and pharmacometrics across multiple therapeutic areas. Prior to BMS, Dr. Bello spent more than a decade with Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer), where he was responsible for overseeing clinical pharmacology for Pfizer's late-stage oncology development programs. Dr. Bello received a in biomedical sciences from Portsmouth Polytechnic, an in instrumentation and analytical science from University of Manchester and a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from King's College, University of London. About Xilio Therapeutics Xilio Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing tumor-activated, or masked, immuno-oncology (I-O) therapies with the goal of significantly improving outcomes for people living with cancer without the systemic side effects of current I-O treatments. The company is leveraging its proprietary platform to advance a pipeline of novel, tumor-activated I-O molecules that are designed to optimize the therapeutic index by localizing anti-tumor activity within the tumor microenvironment. Learn more by visiting and follow us on LinkedIn (Xilio Therapeutics, Inc). Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, statements regarding achievement of key milestones; and the potential benefits of any of Xilio's current or future product candidates in treating patients; and Xilio's strategy, goals, business plans and focus. The words 'aim,' 'may,' 'will,' 'could,' 'would,' 'should,' 'expect,' 'plan,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'believe,' 'estimate,' 'predict,' 'project,' 'potential,' 'continue,' 'seek,' 'target' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of important risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, general market conditions; risks and uncertainties related to ongoing and planned research and development activities, including initiating, conducting or completing preclinical studies and clinical trials and the timing and results of such preclinical studies or clinical trials; the delay of any current or planned preclinical studies or clinical trials or the development of Xilio's current or future product candidates; Xilio's ability to obtain and maintain sufficient preclinical and clinical supply of current or future product candidates; Xilio's advancement of multiple early-stage immune cell engager programs; interim or preliminary preclinical or clinical data or results, which may not be replicated in or predictive of future preclinical or clinical data or results; Xilio's ability to successfully demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its product candidates and gain approval of its product candidates on a timely basis, if at all; results from preclinical studies or clinical trials for Xilio's product candidates, which may not support further development of such product candidates; actions of regulatory agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of current or future clinical trials; Xilio's ability to obtain, maintain and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for current or future product candidates; Xilio's ability to obtain and maintain sufficient cash resources to fund its operations; the impact of international trade policies on Xilio's business, including U.S. and China trade policies; Xilio's ability to maintain its clinical trial collaboration with Roche to develop vilastobart in combination with atezolizumab; and Xilio's ability to maintain its collaboration and partnership agreements with Gilead and AbbVie. These and other risks and uncertainties are described in greater detail in the sections entitled 'Risk Factor Summary' and 'Risk Factors' in Xilio's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including Xilio's most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and any other filings that Xilio has made or may make with the SEC in the future. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent Xilio's views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Except as required by law, Xilio explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. This press release contains hyperlinks to information that is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in this press release.
National Post
03-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
Agenus and Zydus Lifesciences Enter $141M Strategic Collaboration to Advance BOT/BAL, Expand Zydus' Biologics Manufacturing in the US
Article content LEXINGTON, Mass. — Agenus Inc. (Nasdaq: AGEN), a leader in immuno-oncology innovation, today announced it has signed definitive partnership agreements with Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. (NSE: ZYDUSLIFE), including its subsidiaries/affiliates, hereafter referred to as 'Zydus,' designed to accelerate clinical development, scale global manufacturing, and expand patient access to botensilimab and balstilimab (BOT/BAL). Article content The strategic collaboration includes an exchange of Agenus' state-of-the-art biologics CMC facilities in Emeryville, CA and Berkeley, CA for upfront consideration of $75M; Agenus to receive up to an additional $50M in contingent payments triggered by BOT/BAL production orders. Zydus, an India-based multinational pharmaceutical company with over 27,000 employees and operations in 55 countries, will launch a BioCDMO business using the facilities as their flagship U.S. sites to provide biologics contract manufacturing services to biopharmaceutical companies globally. Agenus will become Zydus' first BioCDMO customer through an exclusive manufacturing agreement for BOT/BAL to ensure the combination regimen's BLA and launch readiness needs. This collaboration enables Agenus to unlock the value of its manufacturing assets and secure strategic capital to drive BOT/BAL toward global regulatory engagement and commercialization. Article content Agenus will also grant Zydus an exclusive license to develop and commercialize BOT and BAL in India and Sri Lanka, capitalizing on Zydus' established local market presence and infrastructure. Zydus will pay Agenus a 5 percent royalty on net sales in those countries. Article content In a demonstration of mutual commitment, Zydus will also make a strategic equity investment in Agenus by purchasing approximately 2.1 million shares of common stock at $7.50 per share, totaling approximately $16 million in gross proceeds. Agenus intends to apply the net proceeds from the sale of the purchased shares for working capital and general corporate purposes, and will accelerate ongoing clinical development, registration and potential commercialization of BOT/BAL. Article content By uniting Agenus' pioneering research and development capabilities with Zydus' worldwide manufacturing, commercialization and operational strength, this partnership sets the stage for a new era in cancer immunotherapy in India and beyond. Article content 'With a trade agreement between the United States and India seemingly imminent, there is a renewed sense of confidence by trading partners in both countries in the future of Indian-American relations,' said Dr. Garo Armen, CEO of Agenus. 'There is also a growing recognition by both countries of the need for the United States to ensure that biopharma supply chains are secure. We are working with Zydus to accelerate future clinical trials for BOT/BAL and eventually its global footprint in oncology therapeutics. This agreement is an expression of confidence in the future of Agenus and in the regulatory environment of the United States. The administration has created an environment that has brought these two trading partners together. The United States is the second largest trading partner with India. For these reasons and the strong collaborative spirit we feel with our new partners at Zydus, we decided to enter into this partnership now.' Article content 'We are thrilled to be partnering with Agenus to advance BOT/BAL, which has the potential to benefit thousands of patients in our core markets of India and Sri Lanka annually and millions of solid tumor patients globally. We plan to run clinical trials testing BOT/BAL in both early-stage and late-stage disease, along with expansion beyond colorectal cancer to other major disease settings like triple negative breast cancer,' said Dr. Sharvil Patel, Managing Director at Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. Article content The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and satisfactory due diligence. The parties aim to complete closing agreements within 60 days. Article content Conference Call and Webcast Article content As part of this effort, Agenus was advised by Biotech Value Advisors (BVA), a strategic advisory firm, which provided guidance on transaction structure, partner selection and negotiations. Article content About Agenus Article content 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 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 or @agenus_bio. Information that may be important to investors will be routinely posted on our website and social media channels. Article content About Zydus Lifesciences Article content Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. with an overarching purpose of empowering people with freedom to live healthier and more fulfilled lives, is an innovative, global lifesciences company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets a broad range of healthcare therapies. The group employs over 27,000 people worldwide, including 1,400 scientists engaged in R&D, and is driven by its mission to unlock new possibilities in lifesciences through quality healthcare solutions that impact lives. The group aspires to transform lives through path-breaking discoveries. For more details visit Article content Botensilimab (BOT) is a 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. Article content Approximately 1,200 patients have been treated with botensilimab and/or balstilimab 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 Article content About Balstilimab (BAL) Article content Balstilimab is a novel, fully human monoclonal immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) designed to block PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) from interacting with its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2. It has been evaluated in >900 patients to date and has demonstrated clinical activity and a favorable tolerability profile in several tumor types. Article content Forward-Looking Statements Article content 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 2024, 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. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content Article content
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BofA Maintains Buy Rating on Merus (MRUS), Lifts PT
On Friday, BofA increased its price target for Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS) to $92 from $70, while maintaining a Buy rating on the stock. The decision follows Merus' highly favorable Phase 2 trial results for the combination of petosemtamab and pembrolizumab in treating first-line head and neck squamous cell carcinoma/HNSCC. The trial achieved a 12-month objective survival rate of 79% in its full cohort. A microscope with biomedical samples, highlighting the research efforts of the company. The survival rate surpasses historical benchmarks for pembrolizumab monotherapy, which typically range from 50% to 59% in the same patient population. It also well exceeds the 50%-60% range that BofA's medical checks had indicated would constitute good data. BofA believes that the data positions the peto + pembr combination as a potentially best-in-class treatment option for patients with HNSCC. The promising interim data from the Phase 2 trial, revealed at the ASCO Annual Meeting, showed a 63% overall response rate among 43 evaluable patients, which included 6 complete responses and 21 partial responses. The median progression-free survival was 9 months, and responses were observed across various PD-L1 levels, with 14 responding patients still on treatment at the data cutoff. Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS) is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company that primarily develops antibody therapeutics in the Netherlands. While we acknowledge the potential of MRUS to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MRUS and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BofA Maintains Buy Rating on Merus (MRUS), Lifts PT
On Friday, BofA increased its price target for Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS) to $92 from $70, while maintaining a Buy rating on the stock. The decision follows Merus' highly favorable Phase 2 trial results for the combination of petosemtamab and pembrolizumab in treating first-line head and neck squamous cell carcinoma/HNSCC. The trial achieved a 12-month objective survival rate of 79% in its full cohort. A microscope with biomedical samples, highlighting the research efforts of the company. The survival rate surpasses historical benchmarks for pembrolizumab monotherapy, which typically range from 50% to 59% in the same patient population. It also well exceeds the 50%-60% range that BofA's medical checks had indicated would constitute good data. BofA believes that the data positions the peto + pembr combination as a potentially best-in-class treatment option for patients with HNSCC. The promising interim data from the Phase 2 trial, revealed at the ASCO Annual Meeting, showed a 63% overall response rate among 43 evaluable patients, which included 6 complete responses and 21 partial responses. The median progression-free survival was 9 months, and responses were observed across various PD-L1 levels, with 14 responding patients still on treatment at the data cutoff. Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS) is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company that primarily develops antibody therapeutics in the Netherlands. While we acknowledge the potential of MRUS to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MRUS and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Instil Bio and ImmuneOnco to Host Investor and Analyst Breakfast to Discuss the Evolving PD-(L)1xVEGF Bispecific Antibody Landscape and Clinical Trial Updates During the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago
DALLAS and SHANGHAI, May 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Instil Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: TIL, "Instil") and ImmuneOnco Biopharmaceuticals (Shanghai) Inc. (HKEX Code: 'ImmuneOnco'), today announced that they will jointly host an investor and research analyst breakfast in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 8:00 to 9:30 am CT adjacent to the McCormick Convention Center. Instil and ImmuneOnco management, along with a key opinion leader in the field of immuno-oncology, will discuss the evolving PD-(L)1xVEGF bispecific antibody landscape and recent clinical trial updates from Instil and ImmuneOnco. Investors and analysts interested in attending should register by emailing their contact information to reserve seating to investorrelations@ About ImmuneOncoImmuneOnco is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on discovery and development of biologics to treat cancers, autoimmune diseases and metabolic diseases. With 10+ assets all originated in-house and the most advanced asset in phase III right now, ImmuneOnco is pursuing innovative therapies to improve patients' health. For more information visit About Instil BioInstil Bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing a pipeline of novel therapies. Instil's lead asset, AXN-2510, is a novel and differentiated PD-L1xVEGF bispecific antibody in development for the treatment of multiple solid tumors. For more information, visit Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as the date hereof, and Instil disclaims any obligation to update these statements except as may be required by law. Contacts:Investor Relations:1-972-499-3350investorrelations@
