On April 17, 2026 NEOK Bio, Inc., an oncology therapeutics company focused on the development of novel antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for improving outcomes for cancer patients, reported that two poster presentations highlighting its ADC pipeline will be delivered at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026 taking place April 17-22, 2026, in San Diego, California.

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The AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026 presentations will showcase NEOK’s emerging pipeline of next-generation ADCs engineered to target proteins broadly expressed across tumor types with high unmet need. The company will present new findings for its two lead bispecific candidates: NEOK001, a first-in-class "2+2" bispecific ADC designed to target B7-H3 and ROR1-expressing tumors, and NEOK002, a "1+1" bispecific ADC targeting EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) and MUC1 (Mucin 1)-expressing solid tumors. Both therapies utilize Synaffix’s proprietary, validated linker-payload technology with a DAR 4 Topoisomerase-1 (Topo-1) inhibitor, exatecan (SYNtecan E ).

Both programs have received Investigational New Drug (IND) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and NEOK plans to initiate Phase 1 clinical trials in 2Q 2026, with initial clinical data readouts anticipated in 2027. Both of NEOK’s bispecific ADC candidates will enter the clinic on a foundation of promising preclinical studies, where they have demonstrated superior in vivo efficacy in solid tumors compared to traditional monovalent ADCs.

Preclinical data will be shared in two separate poster presentations on April 20 during the session titled "Antibody Drug Conjugates and Linker Engineering 2" at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026. Highlights of the presentations include:

Poster 1724: NEOK001: A first-in-class B7-H3xROR1 bispecific ADC demonstrated enhanced efficacy and promising tolerability

Potent dual‑target cytotoxicity and strong bystander killing, supporting activity in heterogeneous solid tumors
Broad efficacy across 38 PDX models, achieving 84% tumor growth inhibition and 53% deep tumor regression across nine major cancer types
Outperformed clinical benchmark ADCs, including I‑Dxd and zilovertamab vedotin, and successfully regressed I‑Dxd-treated regrowing tumors
Observed favorable safety profile in GLP toxicology studies (HNSTD: 60 mg/kg) with stable DAR and predictable pharmacokinetics
Poster 1726: NEOK002: Designing an EGFRxMUC1 Bispecific TOP1i ADC with Promising Anti-Tumor Activity and Enhanced Therapeutic Window

Dual-targeting design enhances binding and internalization in dual-positive tumor cells while reducing off‑tumor EGFR engagement
Robust antitumor activity across 36 PDX models, achieving tumor regressions in 78%, including KRAS‑mutant and heavily pretreated tumors
Favorable safety profile with minimal impact on keratinocyte proliferation and reduced inhibition of EGFR signaling versus cetuximab-based ADCs
Strong combination potential sotorasib, enabling extended tumor regression for 58 days in KRAS G12C-mutant models
"These preclinical findings underscore the potential of our next-generation ADC pipeline to overcome the limitations of conventional monovalent designs," said Mayank Gandhi, MD, CEO of NEOK Bio. "As we prepare to accelerate both candidates into clinical development, we look forward to sharing their differentiated mechanisms and compelling pre-clinical activity at ACCR 2026."

(Press release, Neok Bio, APR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234664498])

On April 17, 2026 Theriva Biologics (NYSE American: TOVX), ("Theriva" or the "Company"), a diversified clinical-stage company developing therapeutics designed to treat cancer and related diseases in areas of high unmet need, reported an upcoming poster presentation of new data and subgroup analyses from the VIRAGE Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating VCN-01 (zabilugene almadenorepvec) plus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in newly-diagnosed metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. Tumor reponse, biomarker data, and subgroup analyses are to be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting to be held in San Diego, CA from 17-22 April 2026.

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Details of the poster presentation are below:

Presenting author: Dr. Manuel Hidalgo, NYU Langone Health Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY
Title: Analysis of tumor and biomarker responses in the VIRAGE Trial, a randomized Phase IIb, open-label, study of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine with/without intravenous VCN-01 in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPDAC)
Poster #: CT162
Date and time: Monday April 20, 2026, 2:00-5:00 PM US PDT
Session: PO.CT01.05 – Phase II and Phase III Clinical Trials
Location: San Diego Convention Center, Hall B, Section 52, Board 26.
"The new data and analyses to be presented at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) meeting further reinforce our confidence in the clinical potential of VCN-01 plus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy to help metastatic PDAC patients," said Steven A. Shallcross, Chief Executive Officer of Theriva Biologics. "Taken together, the tumor response and biomarker data support an immune-mediated mode of action for VCN-01, which is consistent with the previously reported clinical observations, showing that patients treated with VCN-01 plus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel experienced a significantly protracted duration of response concomitant with a later-stage prolongation of survival compared to patients treated with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel alone. We have achieved alignment with both the FDA and the EMA on a proposed pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate multiple doses of VCN-01 plus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in first-line metastatic PDAC patients, and we are planning a small study to assess whether more frequent and extended VCN-01 dosing could further improve outcomes."

About Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Cancer of the pancreas consists of two main histological types: cancer that arises from the ductal (exocrine) cells of the pancreas or, much less often, cancers may arise from the endocrine compartment of the pancreas. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma ("PDAC") accounts for more than 90% of all pancreatic tumors. It can be located either in the head of the pancreas or in the body/tail. Pancreatic cancer usually metastasizes to the liver and peritoneum. Other less common metastatic sites are the lungs, brain, kidney, and bone. In its early stages, pancreatic cancer does not typically result in any characteristic symptoms. In many instances, progressive abdominal pain is the first symptom. Therefore, in most cases, pancreatic cancer is diagnosed in its late stages (locally advanced non-metastatic or metastatic stage of the disease) when surgical resection and possibly curative treatment is not possible. It is generally assumed that only 10% of cases are resectable at presentation, whereas 30-40% of patients are diagnosed at local advanced/unresectable stage and 50-60% present with distant metastases.

About VCN-01

VCN-01 (zabilugene almadenorepvec) is a systemically administered oncolytic adenovirus designed to selectively and aggressively replicate within tumor cells and degrade the tumor stroma that serves as a significant physical and immunosuppressive barrier to cancer treatment. This unique mode-of-action enables VCN-01 to exert multiple antitumor effects by (i) selectively infecting and lysing tumor cells; (ii) enhancing the access and perfusion of co-administered chemotherapy products; and (iii) increasing tumor immunogenicity and exposing the tumor to the patient’s immune system and co-administered immunotherapy products. Systemic administration enables VCN-01 to exert its actions on both the primary tumor and metastases. VCN-01 has been administered to 142 patients to date in clinical trials of different cancers, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (in combination with chemotherapy), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (with an immune checkpoint inhibitor), ovarian cancer (with CAR-T cell therapy), colorectal cancer, and retinoblastoma (by intravitreal injection). More information on these clinical trials is available at Clinicaltrials.gov.

(Press release, Theriva Biologics, APR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234664514])

On April 17, 2026 OREGA Biotech, the biotech company committed to the discovery of novel immuno-oncology targets for cancer immunotherapy, reported that the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026 abstract reporting interim results from the phase 2 MATISSE trial of IPH5201 plus durvalumab (durvalumab) and platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with resectable early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been published.

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Summary of the abstract: Perioperative PD-(L)1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy are now standard for resectable early-stage NSCLC, but further improvements in pathological complete response (pCR) and survival are still needed. IPH5201, an anti-CD39 antibody, aims to enhance antitumor immunity by reducing immunosuppressive adenosine and increasing ATP levels. In the Phase 2 MATISSE study, IPH5201 was added to durvalumab and chemotherapy in patients with stage II–IIIA NSCLC. Among 40 patients, the treatment showed a favorable safety profile and achieved a pCR rate of 27.5% (all), rising to 35.7% in PD-L1 ≥1% and 50% in PD-L1 ≥50% patients, comparing favorably with the 17.2%, 21.2% and 27.5% reported for durvalumab + chemo in the AEGEAN study (Heymach, 2023). Biomarker analyses confirmed CD39 target engagement and suggested a link between CD39+ tumor cell density and response. These results compare favorably to prior standards and support the continuation of the study with the recruitment of PD-L1≥1% pts.

Presentation details:

Session CTPL04 – Advances in Immunotherapy
CT231 – Dual CD39 and PD-L1 inhibition: Interim results from the phase 2 MATISSE trial of IPH5201 plus durvalumab (durva) and platinum-based chemotherapy (CT) in patients (pts) with resectable NSCLC.

Session Date/Time: April 21, 2026, 10:45 AM – 11:00 AM Hall H – Ground Level – Convention Center

Presenter: Pr. Fabrice Barlesi, CEO of Institut Gustave Roussy

About IPH5201 antibody
IPH5201 is a humanized CD39 blocking antibody codeveloped by Innate Pharma and AstraZeneca (AZ).
OREGA Biotech entered into an exclusive and worldwide License Agreement with Innate Pharma in 2016. The lead antibody (IPH5201) has been further partnered with AstraZeneca in 2018. AstraZeneca conducted a multicenter, open-label, dose-escalation Phase 1 trial in advanced solid tumors (NCT04261075) with IPH5201 alone or in combination with durvalumab (anti PD-L1 antibody).

About NCT05742607 clinical trial
MATISSE is a Phase 2 multicenter single-arm study (NCT05742607) evaluating neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment with IPH5201 in combination with durvalumab (anti-PD-L1, AZ) and chemotherapy in treatment-naïve patients with resectable early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The primary objectives of the study are to assess antitumor activity of neoadjuvant treatment based on pathological complete response (pCR) and safety. More information on the Phase 2 clinical trial is accessible online.

(Press release, OREGA BIOTECH, APR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234664546])

On April 17, 2026 Asgard Therapeutics, a privately held biotech company pioneering in vivo direct cell reprogramming for cancer immunotherapy, reported that it will be presenting a poster on its lead asset AT-108 at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, held in San Diego, California, US, from 17-22 April 2026.

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AT-108 is a transformative gene therapy utilizing Asgard’s in vivo cell reprogramming technology to directly reprogram tumor cells into dendritic cells. This approach forces these tumor cells to present their tumor antigens, ultimately leading to a personalized anti-tumor immune response. Asgard is progressing its first-in-class therapy toward clinical development, with a focus on solid tumors, and is advancing IND-enabling studies and CMC development.

The poster presentation, titled ‘Preclinical efficacy and biomarker characterization of AT-108, a first-in-class in situ tumor-to-dendritic cell reprogramming agent’, will detail preclinical data demonstrating that AT-108 induces systemic, dose-dependent efficacy with broad tumor activity. Key biomarker parameters were highlighted to be explored in future clinical development.

Details of the poster presentation are as follow:

Poster title: Preclinical efficacy and biomarker characterization of AT-108, a first-in-class in situ tumor-to-dendritic cell reprogramming agent

Presenter: Fabio Rosa, Asgard Therapeutics

Authors: Fritiof Åkerström1, Xavier Catena1, Marta Santiago2, Ana Perego1, Ruixian Liu1, Arun Sundaramurthy1, Lihan Xie1, Emilie Renaud1, Andreea-Medeea Matei1, Xiaoli Huang1, Emma Leire1, Ozcan Met2, Inge-Marie Svane2, Shane Olwill1, Cristiana Pires1, Filipe Pereira3, Fabio Rosa1

Poster session: Session LBPO.ET04 – Late-Breaking Research: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics 4

Session date and time: 22 April, 2026, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM PDT

Location: Section 53

Poster number: LB455 / 2

1Asgard Therapeutics AB, Lund, Sweden,2National Center of Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark,3Molecular Medicine and Gene Therapy, Lund Stem Cell Centre, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

The abstract is available to view via the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) online planner.

(Press release, Asgard Therapeutics, APR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234664467])

On April 17, 2026 Accent Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering novel small molecule precision cancer therapies, reported preclinical data supporting its potentially best-in-class KIF18A inhibitor, ATX-295, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026 taking place April 17-22 in San Diego, California.

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"The strength and consistency of the preclinical results supporting our KIF18A program reinforce our confidence in ATX-295 as a novel therapeutic targeting a fundamental vulnerability in cancers with high levels of chromosomal instability," said Serena Silver, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Accent Therapeutics. "We are further advancing our commitment to maximize ATX-295’s potentially transformative impact for cancer patients by exploring AI-guided tools to assess chromosomal instability."

The company’s presentation includes preclinical data demonstrating the strong anti-tumor activity of ATX-295 across multiple solid tumor indications with high levels of chromosomal instability. The molecule showed potent in vitro activity in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), squamous non-small cell lung cancer (sqNSCLC), and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines, leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. ATX-295 showed robust and durable tumor regression in patient-derived xenograft models of HGSOC, sqNSCLC and TNBC exhibiting whole-genome doubling (WGD), supporting WGD and chromosomal instability as predictive markers of tumor sensitivity to ATX-295. The results also include proof of concept for a novel, artificial intelligence (AI)-based method capable of rapidly detecting WGD in clinical samples, providing the foundation for a clinically feasible biomarker.

ATX-295 is currently under investigation in a first-in-human, Phase 1/2, open-label, dose escalation and expansion study, designed to evaluate the molecule’s safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors, including HGSOC and sqNSCLC (NCT06799065).

Details for the presentation are as follows:

Poster Title: Robust anti-tumor activity of the novel KIF18A inhibitor, ATX-295, in preclinical models of chromosomally instable tumors
Abstract Number: 6641
Session Title: Multi-Axis Antineoplastic Agents
Session Date and Time: Tuesday, April 21: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM PT
Location: Poster Section 14
Poster Board Number: 2
Presenter: Laura Ghisolfi, Ph.D.
About ATX-295
Accent’s lead program, ATX-295, is a potential best-in-class inhibitor for KIF18A, a mitotic kinesin motor protein critical for cell division in select tumors with chromosomal instability. KIF18A inhibitor treatment results in rapid cell death for cancers with an abnormal number of chromosomes (aneuploid) in vitro and in vivo, while cells with normal numbers of chromosomes (euploid) are unaffected. ATX-295 may address a large patient population across several cancer indications, including ovarian and squamous non-small cell lung cancer. Accent retains full worldwide rights to the KIF18A program, currently being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical study (NCT06799065) enrolling patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors, including high-grade serous ovarian cancer and squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

(Press release, Accent Therapeutics, APR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234664483])