Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS; NYSE: BMY) has advanced its development program for the TIGITxCD96 bispecific antibody (BsAb) BMS-986442 into a Phase II dose expansion trial. The candidate was licensed from Agenus (NASDAQ: AGEN) in 2021, and as part of the agreement, Agenus will receive a USD 25 million cash payment, with the potential for up to USD 1.32 billion in milestone payments. The agreement grants BMS global development and commercialization rights for the drug.
Agenus reports that BMS-986442 is designed with an Fc-enhanced feature intended to boost clinical activity by enhancing tumor-reactive T cell responses. The biologic is also being studied in a Phase II trial in combination with BMS’s anti-PD-1 drug Opdivo (nivolumab). According to the public release, BMS had previously discontinued a Phase II program for a solid tumor candidate targeting the checkpoint TIGIT, a drug target that has been challenging for the biopharmaceutical industry.- Flcube.com
