Agenus Announces Three BOT+BAL Presentations Spanning Neoadjuvant and Late-Line Colorectal Cancer and Advanced Sarcomas at ESMO 2026

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neoadjuvant medical

"Neoadjuvant" describes treatments or interventions that are given before the main or primary procedure, such as surgery or a major decision. It’s like preparing the ground before planting seeds, aiming to improve the final outcome. For investors, understanding neoadjuvant approaches can provide insight into how companies enhance results or effectiveness in their processes or products.

mismatch repair-deficient medical

Cells described as mismatch repair-deficient lack a functional DNA “spellchecker” system that normally fixes copying errors when cells divide, so they accumulate more mutations than normal. That biological state matters to investors because it serves as a diagnostic biomarker and can influence clinical trial design, regulatory decisions, market size for targeted therapies and companion diagnostics, and potential revenue from drugs that work better in high‑mutation cancers.

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Microsatellite-stable describes tumors whose short, repeated stretches of DNA remain unchanged, meaning the cell’s internal “proofreader” is effectively catching copying errors. Investors care because this molecular trait affects which therapies and clinical trials are likely to work — some immunotherapies and targeted drugs perform differently in stable versus unstable tumors, influencing a drug’s market potential, trial success and regulatory path.

mismatch repair-proficient medical

A mismatch repair-proficient tumor has a working cellular system that fixes small DNA copying errors, like a spellchecker catching typos in a document. For investors, this matters because these tumors tend to respond differently to certain diagnostic tests and therapies (especially some immunotherapies), which can affect the market size for related drugs, testing services, regulatory approvals, and clinical trial designs.

expanded access program medical

A program that allows patients with serious or life‑threatening conditions to receive an experimental drug or therapy before it is fully approved by regulators, when they cannot join clinical trials. Investors care because expanded access can change a treatment’s market perception, create early real‑world safety or demand signals, and affect regulatory timelines and potential revenue — like a pre‑order system that also reveals how the product performs outside controlled testing.

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LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Agenus Inc. (Nasdaq: AGEN), a leader in immuno-oncology innovation, today announced that three abstracts from investigator-sponsored trials evaluating botensilimab and balstilimab (BOT+BAL) have been accepted for poster presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026, taking place October 23-27, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. The studies span neoadjuvant colorectal cancer, refractory metastatic colorectal cancer and advanced sarcoma, reflecting continued investigator interest in BOT+BAL across distinct disease settings and tumor types.

The NEOASIS poster will present updated data from a neoadjuvant cohort in mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer. While biologically distinct from the microsatellite-stable/mismatch repair-proficient (MSS/pMMR) population planned for ROBBIN, the study contributes to the broader clinical rationale for evaluating BOT+BAL before surgery and moving immunotherapy earlier in colon cancer.

The two additional posters will present real-world data from investigator-led studies of BOT+BAL in refractory MSS/pMMR metastatic colorectal cancer and advanced sarcoma, extending the body of independent clinical experience with the combination in heavily pretreated patients.

Presentation Details:

1. Abstract Title: Neoadjuvant botensilimab plus balstilimab in MMR deficient colorectal cancer: results from the NEOASIS study
   Presenter: Emma Van Den Berg MD; Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, NKI-AVL - Netherlands Cancer Institute/Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, Netherlands
   Poster Presentation number: 837P
   Session Title: Colon cancer
   Date/Time: Sun, 25 Oct 2026; 12:00-12:45 CET | 7:00-7:45AM EST
   
   
2. Abstract Title: Botensilimab plus balstilimab in advanced sarcoma: real-world data from a Spanish expanded access program
   Presenter: Carlos López-Jiménez MD, PhD; Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
   Poster Presentation number: 3771P
   Session Title: Sarcoma
   Date/Time: Mon, 26 Oct 2026: 12:00-12:45 CET | 7:00-7:45AM EST
   
   
3. Abstract Title: Botensilimab and balstilimab in refractory pMMR/MSS metastatic colorectal cancer: real-world data from a multicenter AGEO study
   Presenter: Louis Piton, MD, Paris-Cité University, Department of Gastroenterology and Digestive Oncology, Georges Pompidou European Hospital, SIRIC CARPEM, Paris, France
   ePoster Abstract number: 905eP
   Session Title: Colon cancer

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 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. 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.

About Botensilimab (BOT)

Botensilimab (BOT) is a human Fc enhanced multifunctional anti-CTLA-4 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 1,300 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 www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About Balstilimab (BAL)

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 more than 900 patients to date and has demonstrated clinical activity and a favorable tolerability profile in several tumor types.

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 2025, 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.

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Source: Agenus Inc.