CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4), is a negative regulator of immune activation that is considered a foundational target within the immuno-oncology market. In 2018, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for the establishment of CTLA-4 as a cancer immunotherapy target. Agenus has applied these scientific findings to create a therapy designed to treat cancer, AGEN1884.
AGEN1884 is a fully humanized monoclonal antibody that activates the immune system to destroy cancer cells by blocking the interaction between CTLA-4 and its binding partners CD80 and CD86.
AGEN1884 is clinically active in patients with advanced or refractory cancer. In fact, we have seen a complete and durable response in a patient with refractory angiosarcoma. This patient was profiled in the news.
Agenus’ CTLA-4 is in clinical trials as a monotherapy and a combination with our PD-1, AGEN2034 in an ongoing Phase 1/2, open-label, multi-arm trial to investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, biological and clinical activity of this regimen in patients with metastatic or locally advanced solid tumors including refractory cervical cancer. As of April 2020, our anti-CTLA-4 antibody in combination with our anti-PD-1 antibody has achieved 14 positive clinical responses in 55 patients with second-line cervical cancer (~26% ORR with ~12-month follow-up).
Agenus controls worldwide rights to AGEN1884, except for certain South American rights, which are controlled by Recepta Biopharma, and Greater China rights, which are exclusively licensed to Betta Pharmaceuticals.