Ascentage Pharma to Present Data From Four Preclinical Studies In Its Innovative Pipeline at American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026

On March 17, 2026 Ascentage Pharma Group International (NASDAQ: AAPG; HKEX: 6855), a global, commercial stage, integrated biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel, differentiated therapies to address unmet medical needs in cancer, reported that four abstracts highlighting the latest preclinical results from its pipeline programs have been selected for poster presentations at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026, taking place April 17-22, 2026, in San Diego, CA, USA.

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The data to be presented encompasses three of the Company’s novel drug candidates: BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor Olverembatinib (HQP1351), FAK/ALK/ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor APG-2449, and PRC2/EED inhibitor APG-5918.

The AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026 is the critical driver of progress against cancer, the place where scientists, clinicians, other health care professionals, survivors, patients, and advocates gather to share and discuss the latest breakthroughs. From population science and prevention; to cancer biology, translational, and clinical studies; to survivorship and advocacy; the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting showcases cutting-edge cancer science and medicine.

The four preclinical abstracts from Ascentage Pharma include:

Multitarget kinase inhibitor olverembatinib (HQP1351) is efficacious and synergizes with chemotherapy in preclinical models of endometrial carcinoma (EC)

Abstract#: 4583
Poster Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Novel Antitumor Agents 2
Time: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM PDT

Multikinase inhibitor olverembatinib (HQP1351) is efficacious and synergizes with BTK inhibitor acalabrutinib in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) preclinical models

Abstract#: 5875
Poster Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Tyrosine Kinase, Phosphatase, and Other Inhibitors
Time: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM PDT

FAK inhibition by APG-2449 enhances the antitumor activity of MAPK pathway blockade in BRAF V600E-mutant tumor models

Abstract#: 1858
Poster Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Targeting Drug Resistance 1: Apoptosis and Autophagy
Time: Monday, April 20, 2026, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM PDT

Embryonic ectoderm development (EED) inhibitor APG-5918 synergizes with topoisomerase I inhibitors in preclinical small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) models through epigenetic priming of chemosensitivity

Abstract#: 4500
Poster Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Epigenetic Modulators 1
Time: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM PDT

*Olverembatinib, APG-2449, and APG-5918 are currently under investigation and have not been approved by the U.S. FDA.

(Press release, Ascentage Pharma, MAR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234663657])

CytomX Therapeutics Announces Pricing of $250 Million Offering of Common Stock and Pre-Funded Warrants

On March 17, 2026 CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:CTMX), a leader in the field of masked, conditionally activated biologics, reported the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 45,990,567 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $5.30 per share and, in lieu of common stock to certain investors, pre-funded warrants to purchase 1,179,245 shares of common stock. The gross proceeds to CytomX from the offering are expected to be $250 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. In addition, CytomX granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 7,075,471 shares of its common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The closing of the offering is expected to occur on March 19, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. All of the shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants are being sold by CytomX.

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CytomX expects to use the net proceeds from this offering for the continued development of Varseta-M and other pipeline programs. CytomX expects to use any remaining net proceeds from this offering for capital expenditures, working capital and other general corporate purposes.

Jefferies, Piper Sandler, Cantor and Barclays are acting as joint bookrunning managers for the offering. Wedbush PacGrow is acting as co-manager for the offering.

A shelf registration statement relating to these securities was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on March 16, 2026, and automatically became effective upon filing. A preliminary prospectus supplement relating to and describing the terms of the offering was filed with the SEC on March 16, 2026. A final prospectus supplement related to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may also be obtained, when available, for free from: Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022, by telephone at (877) 821-7388, or by email at [email protected]; Piper Sandler & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 350 North 5th Street, Suite 1000, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401, or by telephone at (800) 747-3924, or by email at [email protected]; Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., Attention: Capital Markets, 110 East 59th Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by email at [email protected]; or Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by telephone at (888) 603-5847, or by email at [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification of these securities under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

(Press release, CytomX Therapeutics, MAR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234663656])

Voro Therapeutics Announces Research Collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo to Advance PrimeBody™ Technology for Next-Generation Tumor-Activated ADCs

On March 17, 2026 Voro Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering tumor-activated biologics using its proprietary PrimeBody platform, reported a research collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) through its Daiichi Sankyo Research Institute San Diego.

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The collaboration will evaluate Voro’s PrimeBody platform to generate masked antibody drug conjugate (ADC) candidates designed to improve therapeutic index through tumor-selective activation by incorporating proprietary masking domains and protease-cleavable linkers to keep biologics inactive in circulation and healthy tissues, with activation occurring selectively within the tumor microenvironment.

"Unlocking the full potential of highly potent payloads requires a new level of control over where and when activation occurs," said Ugur Eskiocak, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO of Voro Therapeutics. "PrimeBody is designed to potentially provide that level of control through tumor-selective activation and expand the target universe to include antigens historically considered too broadly expressed. We believe this approach has the potential to fundamentally expand the therapeutic index of ADCs. We are excited to collaborate with Daiichi Sankyo, a global leader in ADC innovation with a proven track record of developing transformative medicines for patients."

Under the agreement, Voro Therapeutics will apply its PrimeBody masking and linker technologies to design and characterize masked ADC candidates directed against a selected oncology target. The collaboration will leverage Voro’s previous experience and demonstrated success in creating tumor-activated biologics, including its lead CD47 blocker program, which has shown improved therapeutic index in preclinical studies.

(Press release, Voro Therapeutics, MAR 17, 2026, https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260317680457/en/Voro-Therapeutics-Announces-Research-Collaboration-with-Daiichi-Sankyo-to-Advance-PrimeBody-Technology-for-Next-Generation-Tumor-Activated-ADCs [SID1234663655])

Synthekine Announces AACR 2026 Oral Presentation of Updated Phase 1a/1b Clinical and Translational Data for STK‑012 in First‑Line Nonsquamous NSCLC with Features of Immunotherapy Resistance

On March 17, 2026 Synthekine Inc., an engineered cytokine therapeutics company, reported that updated clinical and translational data from a Phase 1a/1b clinical trial of its α/β biased IL-2 partial agonist, STK-012, will be presented in an oral presentation at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026 taking place in San Diego, CA from April 17 – 22, 2026. In this now fully enrolled study, STK-012 is being evaluated in combination with standard-of-care pembrolizumab + chemotherapy in first-line nonsquamous (NSQ) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with features of immune resistance such as PD-L1 negative histology and STK11/KEAP1 mutations.

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"We are encouraged to share updated clinical and translational data from first‑line NSQ NSCLC patients treated with STK‑012, building on our prior oral presentation at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) 2025 and further supporting our novel and differentiated, α/β‑biased IL‑2 approach to precision immunotherapy," said Debanjan Ray, chief executive officer of Synthekine. "40% or more of newly diagnosed NSQ NSCLC patients have features of immune resistance, including PD‑L1‑negative histology or STK11/KEAP1 mutations, and typically derive limited benefit from standard‑of‑care chemoimmunotherapy. We believe STK‑012, in combination with pembrolizumab and chemotherapy, has the potential to meaningfully improve outcomes in this underserved patient population, and we look forward to presenting these updated data at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper). Development of STK-012 is ongoing in our SYNERGY-101 study, a global, randomized Phase 2 trial which is currently enrolling patients."

Details are as follows and are available in the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Online Program Planner:

Title: Selective immune activation of antigen activated T cells with STK-012, an a/b IL-2 receptor biased partial agonist, with pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in 1L PD-L1 negative non-squamous NSCLC
Session Title: Immunotherapy: Mechanisms and Responses
Session Date & Time: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 2:30 – 4:30 PM PT
Location: Listed in the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Online Program Planner
Abstract Number: 6740

A copy of the presentation will be available on Synthekine’s website following presentation at the meeting.

(Press release, Synthekine, MAR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234663654])

Pfizer Announces Positive Topline Phase 2 Results for Next-Generation CDK4 Inhibitor, Atirmociclib, in Second-Line Metastatic Breast Cancer

On March 17, 2026 Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) reported positive topline results from the randomized Phase 2 FOURLIGHT-1 study evaluating atirmociclib in combination with fulvestrant, versus fulvestrant or everolimus plus exemestane, in people with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who had received prior cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor-based treatment. The study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) as assessed by the investigator [HR: 0.60 (95% CI: (0.440, 0.825)), p=0.0007].

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The PFS results were consistent across all prespecified subgroups, including performance status, menopausal status, presence of visceral disease, duration of treatment with prior CDK4/6 inhibitor (< or > 12 months), and regardless of prior CDK4/6 inhibitor received. More than 90% of patients initiated treatment with atirmociclib within three months of their last CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment. Overall survival (OS), a secondary endpoint, was not mature at the time of the analysis, with approximately 20% of participants having an event. These are the first randomized Phase 2 data in HR+ MBC for atirmociclib, an investigational, potential first-in-class CDK4 inhibitor.

"These results are especially encouraging given that the FOURLIGHT‑1 study enrolled patients whose disease had progressed soon after prior CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy, a difficult-to-treat population," said Jeff Legos, Chief Oncology Officer, Pfizer. "The strength of these data reinforces our confidence that atirmociclib may meaningfully differentiate from the CDK4/6 inhibitor class, the standard-of-care backbone in HR-positive breast cancer, with the potential for improved efficacy and tolerability. We are continuing to accelerate development of this next-generation cell cycle inhibitor in earlier lines of therapy where it may offer even greater benefit for patients."

In FOURLIGHT-1, atirmociclib demonstrated manageable safety and was well tolerated, with 6.4 percent of patients discontinuing atirmociclib due to treatment-emergent adverse events. Its safety profile was consistent with prior studies, and no new safety signals were identified. Detailed results will be submitted for presentation at a future medical meeting.

These findings support Pfizer’s strategy to advance atirmociclib in first-line and early-stage disease, where durable endocrine-based control has the potential to have the greatest impact. A Phase 3 registrational study for atirmociclib in the first-line metastatic setting is ongoing and results from a Phase 2 neoadjuvant study in early breast cancer will be shared at a future medical meeting.

About the FOURLIGHT-1 Trial

FOURLIGHT-1 (NCT06105632) is an interventional, open-label, randomized, multicenter Phase 2 study evaluating atirmociclib plus fulvestrant compared with fulvestrant or everolimus plus exemestane, in adults with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The trial enrolled 264 patients in 14 countries whose disease progressed after cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor-based treatment. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) as determined by investigator assessment. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, objective response, duration of response and clinical benefit response.

About Atirmociclib

Atirmociclib is an investigational oral inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4), a key regulator of the cell cycle that triggers cellular progression. It was conceptualized and discovered at Pfizer and is being developed for the treatment of hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer.

(Press release, Pfizer, MAR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234663653])