On April 17, 2026 Lunit (KRX:328130), a leading provider of AI for cancer diagnostics and precision oncology, reported six studies at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026, taking place from April 17 to 22 in San Diego, California.

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The presentations highlighted Lunit’s continued advancements in AI-driven biomarker development, tumor microenvironment (TME) analysis, and real-world clinical applicability. Several studies were conducted in collaboration with global partners, including Agilent Technologies.

In a study conducted with Agilent Technologies and Ajou University Medical Center, researchers used Lunit SCOPE IO and uIHC to analyze over 25,000 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples. The results showed that tumors with high c-MET expression exhibited a significant reduction in immune cell density within 30 μm of tumor cells (p<0.001), revealing a spatial immune exclusion pattern not captured by conventional analysis. These findings suggest a potential link between c-MET overexpression and immune evasion, supporting combination strategies involving MET-targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

Researchers also present findings from an exploratory analysis of the phase II MOUNTAINEER trial, demonstrating that AI- quantified HER2 expression is strongly associated with treatment response in patients with HER2-positive metastatic colorectal cancer treated with tucatinib plus trastuzumab. The overall objective response rate (ORR) was 43.4%, increasing to as high as 80% in patients with higher HER2 expression, indicating a clearer dose-dependent relationship. Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) density independently predicted progression-free survival. Notably, patients with low stromal TIL levels showed no response (ORR 0%) and a significantly higher risk of disease progression.

These findings highlight the increasing complexity of biomarker assessment, where both tumor characteristics and immune context need to be considered, underscoring the potential role of AI in supporting treatment decision-making.

In addition to these representative studies, Lunit presented additional research abstracts at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026, further demonstrating the breadth of its AI-powered oncology research. These include studies on

AI-based analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte in NSCLC in collaboration with Dr. David Rimm’s lab at Yale University School of Medicine
AI-based target discovery for bi-specific antibodies
Biomarker research in CD47-targeted therapies
"Our AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) presentations reflect how AI is increasingly translating into real-world clinical impact" said Brandon Suh, CEO of Lunit. "Across these studies, we demonstrate how AI-driven biomarkers can enhance precision, deepen our understanding of tumor biology and increasingly support treatment decision-making in clinical practice."

Visit Lunit at Booth #2248 during AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026 to learn more about its latest research and AI-powered solutions in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

Lunit’s featured presentations at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026 include:

[Poster #0011/11] Artificial intelligence-based spatial analysis of the local tumor microenvironment in relation to c-MET expression in non-small cell lung cancer
April 19, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Section 1

[Poster #7735/26] HER2 expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes predict response to tucatinib plus trastuzumab in HER2-positive metastatic colorectal cancer (MOUNTAINEER): Exploratory analysis of a multicenter, Phase II trial
April 22, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Section 41

[Poster #4415/23] AI-powered analysis of millions of IHC images identifies 19 spatially highly co-expressed protein pairs to enable bispecific antibody development
April 21, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Section 11

[Poster #0080/11] Quantitative assessment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes using AI in non-small cell lung cancer and association with immunotherapy response
April 19, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Section 4

[Poster #4355/26] Cryo EM-based structural characterization of IMC-002, a next-generation anti-CD47 antibody with a unique binding site and biomarker candidates, supporting evidence of enhanced safety and efficacy
April 21, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Section 9

(Press release, Lunit, APR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234664482])

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])