New data from investigator‑initiated study evaluating Alligator Bioscience’s mitazalimab to be presented at AACR Annual Meeting 2026

On March 18, 2026 Alligator Bioscience (Nasdaq Stockholm: ATORX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing tumor-directed immuno-oncology antibody drugs, reported that new data from a Phase 1 investigator‑initiated trial (IIT) evaluating intratumoral mitazalimab administered in conjunction with irreversible electroporation (IRE) in locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026. The meeting takes place between 17-22 April 2026, in San Diego, California.

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Abstract details
Title: Irreversible electroporation (IRE) with intratumoral CD40 antibody increases T cell reactivity to personalized neoantigens in locally advanced pancreatic cancer
Time: Monday, 20 April 2026, 09:00 am – 12:00 pm PDT
Session: PO.CTP01.01 – Phase I Clinical Trials in Progress, Section 51
Presenter: Dr. Rebekah R. White, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA

The accepted abstract will be made available on 17 April at aacr.org.

(Press release, Alligator Bioscience, MAR 18, 2026, View Source [SID1234663694])

Illumina and Labcorp expand collaboration to broaden access to precision oncology testing

On March 18, 2026 Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) and Labcorp (NYSE: LH), a global leader of innovative and comprehensive laboratory services, reported an expanded collaboration to advance precision oncology through innovative applications of next-generation sequencing (NGS) solutions across the healthcare ecosystem. Projects are expected to include promoting equitable access to cancer biomarker testing by bringing it closer to patients through new distributed test offerings; generating evidence to facilitate payer coverage; and developing new tests to address areas of unmet need.

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"By deepening our collaboration, we’ll continue to leverage the strengths of our respective teams to innovate and improve access to critical biomarker testing for patients with cancer," said Traci Pawlowski, vice president of Clinical Product Development at Illumina. "Our longstanding collaboration is rooted in a shared vision to advance precision oncology through groundbreaking research and leading-edge technologies."

New test development is expected to span advanced oncology research and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests for comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). These solutions will aim to address areas of unmet needs in precision oncology and help bridge existing testing gaps.

As part of the collaboration, the companies will explore co-commercializing Labcorp’s FDA-authorized liquid biopsy assay PGDx elio plasma focus Dx alongside Illumina’s FDA-approved TruSight Oncology Comprehensive for solid tumor profiling. Together, these distributed IVD test kits are intended to expand access to both tissue and liquid biopsy testing for hospitals and community health systems—bringing advanced biomarker testing closer to patients and helping to provide more specific diagnoses and identify eligibility for targeted treatments and clinical trials. This distributed offering also aims to provide pharmaceutical companies with differentiated opportunities for companion diagnostic (CDx) development, supporting both tissue and liquid biopsy needs for targeted therapy approvals.

"This collaboration reflects Labcorp and Illumina’s shared commitment to improving cancer care through innovation and access," said Shakti Ramkissoon, MD, PhD, MBA, vice president and medical lead for oncology at Labcorp. "Building on our longstanding medical and scientific collaborations and our ongoing efforts to generate clinical evidence and expand access to advanced genomics, we are combining our expertise to deliver transformative testing solutions that support more timely, equitable cancer care."

Illumina and Labcorp will also continue joint efforts to demonstrate the clinical utility of CGP and promote its adoption. In a collaborative study published in Frontiers of Oncology, researchers evaluated more than 7,600 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor samples. The study applied Illumina CGP to demonstrate its coverage and utility in detecting known and novel genomic features of NSCLC. Results showed that CGP detected variants with a current targeted therapy or clinical trial in more than 72% of patient tumors.

This is one of eight joint publications in oncology between Illumina and Labcorp since 2022, along with 18 posters and presentations made at industry conferences.

"Expanding access to advanced genomic testing is essential to delivering personalized cancer care," said Pawlowski. "Together with Labcorp, we are accelerating innovation to bring critical insights closer to patients and enable better outcomes across diverse care settings."

(Press release, Illumina, MAR 18, 2026, View Source [SID1234663710])

BBOT Announces Multiple Presentations at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026

On March 18, 2026 BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics, Inc. ("BBOT") (Nasdaq: BBOT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on RAS-pathway malignancies, reported multiple presentations at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026 being held on April 17-22, 2026, in San Diego, California. The abstracts released today can be found on the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) website here.

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Details on the presentations are as follows:

Title: The RAS: PI3Kα breaker BBO-10203 inhibits PI3Kα/AKT activity in HER2+ models through non-canonical RAS signaling blockade
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Targeted Protein Degradation and Non-cannonical Oncogenic Signaling
Session Type: Oral Presentation
Session Date/Time: Tuesday, April 21, 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. PT
Location: Upper Level Ballroom 6DE
Abstract Number: 6780
Presenter: James Stice, PhD, Director, BBOT

Title: BBO-11818: an orally bioavailable, highly potent and selective non-covalent pan-KRAS (ON) and (OFF) inhibitor with robust anti-tumor activity in KRAS-mutant preclinical models
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Novel Antitumor Agents 3
Session Type: Poster Presentation
Session Date/Time: Wednesday, April 22, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT
Location: Poster Section 13
Poster Board Number: 24
Poster Number: 7104
Presenter: Carlos Stahlhut, PhD, Associate Director, BBOT

About BBO-11818
BBO-11818 is a selective, orally bioavailable non-covalent inhibitor that targets KRAS in both the ON and OFF states, has high selectivity over HRAS and NRAS, and displays strong activity in KRAS-mutant preclinical models, including KRASG12D and KRASG12V. BBO-11818 potently suppresses MAPK signaling and inhibits cell proliferation in KRAS-mutant cell lines and mouse models. BBO-11818 is currently being evaluated in the Phase 1 KONQUER-101 trial in subjects with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic KRAS-mutant solid tumors.

About BBO-10203
BBO-10203 is a first-in-class small molecule which breaks the protein-protein interaction between RAS and PI3Kα and inhibits RAS-mediated activation of the PI3Kα pathway. It selectively disrupts oncogenic RAS-PI3Kα signaling while sparing insulin-mediated glucose uptake, potentially maintaining efficacy with reduced risk of hyperglycemia or hyperinsulinemia. BBO-10203 is currently being evaluated in the Phase 1 BREAKER-101 trial for patients with locally advanced or metastatic HER2+ breast cancer, HR+/HER2- breast cancer, KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer, and KRAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

(Press release, BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics, MAR 18, 2026, View Source [SID1234663727])

Amphista Therapeutics appoints Louise Modis Ph.D. as CEO and Patrick Kelly M.D. as CMO and provides a business update as the Company prepares to file IND application for AMX-883

On March 18, 2026 Amphista Therapeutics Ltd. (the "Company" or "Amphista"), a leader in the discovery and development of next generation targeted protein degradation (TPD) medicines, reported the appointment of Louise Modis, Ph.D., as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the Board of Directors, and Patrick Kelly M.D. as its Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Modis succeeds Antony Mattessich who is retiring.

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Dr. Modis joined Amphista in May 2023 as Chief Scientific Officer. She is an accomplished leader who brings a combination of deep scientific expertise and strategic focus to the role, gained from over two decades of experience advancing innovative medicines into the clinic across biotech and pharma. She has been instrumental in driving Amphista’s progress to date, having defined the Company’s R&D strategy and building its strong pipeline. Dr. Modis will continue to provide scientific leadership while guiding the Company’s strategic direction.

Dr. Kelly joins Amphista and strengthens the clinical leadership as the Company enters the clinic with AMX-883 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). He brings 35 years of clinical research and clinical practice experience, most recently serving as CMO at Forma Therapeutics where he led the development of olutasidenib, which is now approved for the treatment of IDH1-mutated AML. Dr. Kelly will play a pivotal role in leading the clinical development team and shaping Amphista’s development strategy across the pipeline.

Joshua Brumm, Chairman of Amphista’s Board of Directors said: "The Board is delighted to announce the appointments of Louise as CEO and Patrick as CMO. We have been impressed with Louise’s vision and execution of Amphista’s science strategy, and her appointment reflects our confidence in her leadership as we transition to be a clinical-stage company. Combined with Patrick’s clinical expertise, Amphista is well positioned to successfully deliver our differentiated pipeline to patients. On behalf of the Board, I would also like to thank Antony for his contributions and wish him the best in his retirement."

Louise Modis, Chief Executive Officer of Amphista, commented: "I’m honored to lead Amphista. As CEO, my priority is to ensure we deliver clinical excellence for AMX-883 and to accelerate our earlier programs into the clinic. With the addition of Patrick as CMO, and the strength of our leadership team, we are well positioned to execute our clinical strategy and advance our BRD9, SMARCA, and TEAD programs for patients and their families."

Patrick Kelly, Chief Medical Officer of Amphista, commented, "I am excited to join Amphista as the Company prepares to enter the clinic with AMX-883 on the back of impressive pre-clinical data. I look forward to working with Louise and the team to deliver the AMX-883 clinical program in AML and building a robust clinical strategy across the broader pipeline."

As a karyotype-independent, pro-differentiation agent, AMX-883 has the potential to transform the treatment paradigm for AML. Amphista expects to submit the Investigational New Drug application to the US Food and Drug Administration for AMX-883 in April and to start its clinical trial in H2 2026.

Amphista is developing potent, selective, orally bioavailable degraders of SMARCA2 and TEAD. The Company remains on track to deliver a shortlist of best-in-class compounds later this year for further profiling ahead of candidate nomination.

(Press release, Amphista Therapeutics, MAR 18, 2026, View Source [SID1234663695])

Phanes Therapeutics to Present Three Clinical Posters at AACR 2026

On March 18, 2026 Phanes Therapeutics, Inc. (Phanes), a clinical stage biotech company focused on innovative drug discovery and development in oncology, reported that they will present three posters from their ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial with spevatamig (PT886), a first-in-class bispecific antibody targeting CLDN18.2 and CD47, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) held on April 17-22 in San Diego, CA. All three posters will be presented under the Phase II and Phase III Clinical Trials Session. Details of each presentation are below:

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Title: Pharmacokinetics of spevatamig (PT886), a bispecific antibody targeting CLDN18.2 and CD47, in patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancers as monotherapy or combination therapy

Date/Time: 4/20/2026 | 2:00-5:00 PM PST
Location: Poster Section 52
Poster Board Number: 8
Abstract Presentation Number: CT144
First Author: Anwaar Saeed, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Title: Reducing nausea and vomiting while maintaining the full potential for efficacy with spevatamig, a CLDN18.2xCD47 bispecific antibody

Date/Time: 4/20/2026 | 2:00-5:00 PM PST
Location: Poster Section 52
Poster Board Number: 6
Abstract Presentation Number: CT142
First Author: Michael Overman, MD, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Title: Resolved hematological toxicities associated with anti-CD47 agents using a bispecific design involving an optimized anti-CD47 arm: A clinical proof of concept study

Date/Time: 4/20/2026 | 2:00-5:00 PM PST
Location: Poster Section 52
Poster Board Number: 7
Abstract Presentation Number: CT143
First Author: Harshabad Singh, MD, Mass General Brigham

ABOUT SPEVATAMIG
Spevatamig is a first-in-class native IgG-like bispecific antibody (bsAb) targeting claudin 18.2 and CD47. It was granted orphan drug designation (ODD) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer by the FDA in 2022 and was granted Fast Track designation for the treatment of patients with metastatic claudin 18.2-positive pancreatic adenocarcinoma in 2024. In 2023, Phanes entered into a clinical collaboration agreement with Merck (known as MSD outside the US and Canada) to study spevatamig in combination with Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, pembrolizumab.

The US multi-center Phase 1/2 clinical trial of spevatamig (NCT05482893) is evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of spevatamig in patients with advanced gastric, gastroesophageal junction, pancreatic ductal or biliary tract adenocarcinomas. The Phase 2 study of spevatamig has begun in China (CTR20241655).

(Press release, Phanes Therapeutics, MAR 18, 2026, View Source [SID1234663711])