On March 17, 2026 Onchilles Pharma, a private biotech company advancing therapeutics targeting the ELANE pathway, reported that new preclinical data supporting its systemically delivered NEU-002 program will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026, taking place April 17-22 in San Diego. The presentation will highlight the translational development of NEU-002, an engineered therapeutic elastase specifically designed for systemic administration, demonstrating anti-tumor activity via both intravenous and intraperitoneal delivery in solid tumors.

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"With our clinical-stage lead program, N17350, establishing the foundational proof-of-concept for the ELANE pathway, NEU-002 represents our second program and extends this approach into systemic delivery for solid tumors," said Court Turner, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Onchilles Pharma. "The data to be presented reflect our progress in engineering a systemically deliverable therapeutic that maintains anti-tumor activity and supports the advancement of NEU-002 toward development candidate selection and clinical translation."

Presentation Details

Title: Translational Development of NEU-002: Engineered Therapeutic Elastases Demonstrate Systemic Anti-Tumor Activity via Intraperitoneal and Intravenous Administration
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Innovative Therapeutic Modalities and Translational Platforms
Day & Time: Saturday, April 19, from 2pm to 5pm PDT
Location: Poster Section 13
Poster Board Number: 28
Poster Number: 310

About Onchilles Therapeutic Programs Targeting the ELANE Pathway

At the core of this approach is the ELANE pathway, a unique cancer-selective killing mechanism that leverages a vulnerability shared by many cancer cell types: elevated histone H1 levels. Our pipeline is led by N17350, our first-in-class, clinical-stage program, followed by NEU-002, the second program that extends this approach with systemic delivery. By targeting the ELANE pathway and inducing immunogenic cancer cell death, N17350 and NEU-002 are designed to rapidly eliminate tumors while mobilizing an adaptive immune response, offering the potential for sustained anti-tumor immunity. N17350 and NEU-002 offer a unique approach to treating cancer regardless of their genetic makeup, anatomical origin, or immune status, positioning them as potential gamechangers in cancer therapy.

(Press release, Onchilles Pharma, MAR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234663648])

On March 17, 2026 SingleCell Biotechnology, a biotechnology company developing technologies to measure tumor cell behavior at single-cell resolution, reported that data from its platform will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026, to be held in San Diego, April 17-21, 2026.

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Relapse remains one of the most persistent challenges in oncology. While many therapies successfully reduce tumor size, a subset of tumor cells can survive treatment and later regenerate disease. These cells often exhibit behaviors, such as slow proliferation, migration or transient dormancy, that are difficult to detect using traditional preclinical models, where measurements are typically averaged across large populations of rapidly dividing tumor cells. As a result, promising drug candidates may advance through development without being evaluated against the cell populations most responsible for treatment resistance and recurrence.

SingleCell Biotechnology is developing a high-throughput single-cell phenotyping platform designed to measure tumor cell growth, migration and quiescent states at scale. The platform enables large-scale measurement of clonal tumor cell proliferation while preserving the diversity of cellular behaviors within tumors. By combining functional phenotyping with molecular analysis, the approach aims to provide deeper insight into tumor heterogeneity and support more informed decision-making in oncology drug discovery.

Presentation Details:

Poster Title: An Integrated High-throughput Assay for Proliferative Phenotypic and Omics
Presenter: Shiska Raut, Machine Learning Engineer
Location: Poster Section 51
Poster Board Number: 9
Session Date/Time: Sunday, April 19, 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

(Press release, Single Cell Technology, MAR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234663647])

On March 17, 2026 Orum Therapeutics ("Orum" or the "Company") (KRX: 475830), a biotechnology company pioneering the field of degrader antibody conjugates (DACs), reported that new preclinical data on ORM-1153, a CD123-targeting DAC designed to selectively deliver a proprietary GSPT1-degrading payload for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026, taking place April 17-22 in San Diego.

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Orum’s two posters on ORM-1153 will highlight preclinical efficacy, pharmacology, and non-human primate safety findings that support advancement toward clinical development in AML.

"The data being presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) reflect continued progress for ORM-1153 and Orum’s Dual-Precision TPD² approach," said Sung Joo (SJ) Lee, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Orum. "These preclinical data, including repeat-dose non-human primate studies, support advancement toward clinical development and underscore the potential of our approach to expand the therapeutic window beyond conventional cytotoxic antibody-drug conjugates."

Orum’s AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026 Presentation Details
Both posters will be presented on Monday, April 20, from 9 am to 12 pm PDT.

ORM-1153: A Novel CD123-Targeting Degrader Antibody Conjugate with Proprietary GSPT1 Degrading Payload for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Antibody-Drug Conjugates and Linker Engineering 2
Location: Poster Section 13
Poster Board Number: 7
Poster Number: 1710

ORM-1153: A Next-Generation CD123-Targeting Degrader Antibody Conjugate (DAC)
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Quantitative Pharmacology and Translational Modeling
Location: Poster Section 17
Poster Board Number: 12
Poster Number: 1824
Posters will be available on Orum’s website following the presentation.

About ORM-1153

ORM-1153 is a CD123-targeting degrader antibody conjugate developed using Orum’s Dual-Precision TPD² approach. The molecule conjugates a proprietary GSPT1-degrading payload to an anti-CD123 antibody with high internalization efficiency via a β-glucuronide cleavable linker. By combining tumor-selective antibody delivery with targeted protein degradation, ORM-1153 is designed to induce cancer cell death through degradation of GSPT1, a protein implicated in cell survival, including in TP53-mutant AML, while minimizing effects on normal tissues.

About Orum’s TPD² Approach

Orum’s unique Dual-Precision Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD²) approach builds novel targeted protein degraders combined with the precise cell delivery mechanisms of antibodies to generate innovative, first-in-class, cell-selective TPDs for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases. Orum has developed new targeted protein degrader payloads to specifically degrade an intracellular target protein within cancer cells via the E3 ubiquitin ligase pathway. Conjugated to antibodies, the payloads are designed to be delivered specifically to target cells and precisely degrade the intracellular target protein of interest.

(Press release, Orum Therapeutics, MAR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234663646])

On March 17, 2026 Zai Lab Limited (NASDAQ: ZLAB; HKEX: 9688) reported three of the Company’s internally-developed investigational oncology therapies will be presented across four poster sessions at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026 taking place April 17-22 in San Diego, California. These next-generation candidates include: zocilurtatug pelitecan (zoci, formerly ZL-1310), a DLL3-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for small cell lung cancer (SCLC); ZL-6201, a leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 15 (LRRC15) ADC for the treatment of sarcoma and epithelial tumors with LRRC15 expressing cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs); and, ZL-1222, a PD-1 and interleukin-12 (IL-12) signaling attenuated mutein agonist immunocytokine for cancer immunotherapy.

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"The breadth and profile of our global oncology pipeline, highlighted by zoci, ZL-6201, and ZL-1222, underscore our commitment to developing innovative therapies for cancers that remain difficult to treat with current standards of care," said Rafael G. Amado, M.D., President, Head of Global Research and Development at Zai Lab. "Leveraging our integrated U.S.-China development model, we are advancing these programs with speed and quality, and the data we will present at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) reinforces our confidence in these compounds."

Zoci targets DLL3, a validated therapeutic target for SCLC that is overexpressed in many neuroendocrine tumors and is generally associated with poor clinical outcomes. Zoci is on track to become Zai Lab’s first global oncology launch, with plans for three registration-enabling studies across 2L+ SCLC, 1L SCLC, and extrapulmonary NECs by the end of 2026. Its potential best-in-class safety profile, coupled with compelling systemic and intracranial efficacy, supports its potential role as a new standard of care in previously treated ES-SCLC, as well as a backbone ADC in first line combination regimens, including those that reduce the burdens of chemotherapy. Studies with other combinations and lines of therapies are planned.

LRRC15 is a type I transmembrane protein and an appealing target for cancer therapy because it is overexpressed in various mesenchymal tumors, such as sarcoma, glioblastoma and melanoma, as well as in CAFs across many other tumor types. Zai Lab is evaluating ZL-6201 as a potential first-in-class LRRC15-targeting ADC for the treatment of multiple solid tumors.

Interleukin-12 treatments have shown potential therapeutic benefit across a range of cancer types; however, narrow therapeutic windows and toxicity concerns have limited the utility of this therapeutic class. Zai Lab is evaluating ZL-1222 as a potential next-generation PD-1 and attenuated IL-12 immunocytokine bispecific protein for cancer immunotherapy across multiple indications, potentially combining potent antitumor activity with improved systemic safety.

Details regarding the Zai Lab poster presentations at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026 are as follows:

Title: Discovery of ZL-6201, a novel LRRC15-targeting antibody drug conjugate (ADC) for the treatment of sarcomas and epithelial solid tumors
Session Title: Antibodies, Antibody-Drug Conjugates, and Nucleic Acids
Date/Time: Monday, April 20, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT
Location: San Diego Convention Center, Poster Section 38
Poster Board Number: 7
Publish Abstract Number: 2399

Title: ZL-1222, a PD-1-targeted potency-reduced IL-12 immunocytokine, overcomes PD-1 resistance and enhances antitumor immunity with an accepted safety profile
Session Title: Monoclonal Antibodies and Antibody-Cytokine Platforms
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT
Location: San Diego Convention Center, Poster Section 9
Poster Board Number: 2
Publish Abstract Number: 4331

Title: Intracranial activity of ZL-1310, a DLL3-targeted ADC, in patients with previously treated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer and baseline brain metastasis: Analysis of a phase 1 trial
Session Title: Phase 1 Clinical Trials
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT
Location: San Diego Convention Center, Poster Section 50
Poster Board Number: 15
Publish Abstract Number: CT193

Title: Preliminary results from the phase 1b/2, open-label, multi-center study of ZL-1310, a DLL3-targeted ADC, in patients with neuroendocrine carcinomas and other selected solid tumors
Session Title: Phase 1 Clinical Trials
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT
Location: San Diego Convention Center, Poster Section 50
Poster Board Number: 11
Publish Abstract Number: CT189

(Press release, Zai Laboratory, MAR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234663645])

On March 17, 2026 Agenus Inc. (Nasdaq: AGEN), a leader in immuno-oncology, reported that preliminary results from an investigator-sponsored study evaluating botensilimab (BOT) in combination with balstilimab (BAL) in first-line microsatellite stable colorectal cancer (MSS CRC) will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026, taking place April 18–23 in San Diego, CA.

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The BBoPCO study (Botensilimab and Balstilimab Optimization in Colorectal Cancer; NCT06268015) is the first trial of its kind to advance a combination immunotherapy approach in the first-line setting for MSS mCRC, evaluating BOT+BAL in patients without liver, bone, or brain metastases—a population historically resistant to immunotherapy. This investigator-sponsored study was expanded to a Phase 2 and reflects a growing shift toward introducing immunotherapy earlier in the disease course, with the goal of harnessing the immune system to reduce reliance on chemotherapy and improve durability of response.

Colorectal cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with rising incidence in younger populations, and treatment continues to rely heavily on intensive, toxic chemotherapy regimens that can significantly impact quality of life, with neuropathy, organ toxicity, decrease fertility, among others. Despite advances, patients with MSS mCRC, which accounts for approximately 95% of metastatic cases, have seen limited benefit from conventional immunotherapy, underscoring a critical unmet need.

Botensilimab, an Fc-enhanced multifunctional anti-CTLA-4 antibody, is designed to activate both innate and adaptive immune responses, while balstilimab (anti–PD-1) is designed to sustain immune activity. Together, the combination is intended to target complementary immune pathways and expand the potential of immunotherapy in traditionally "cold" tumors.

The BBOpCo study adds to a growing body of research evaluating BOT+BAL across earlier lines of therapy and in settings where immune activation may have greater impact.

Presentation Details:

Poster Presentation Title: Preliminary results of first-line botensilimab (BOT) and balstilimab (BAL) optimization in microsatellite stable colorectal cancer (MSS CRC) without liver, bone, or brain metastasis (BBOpCo)

Presenting Author: Nicholas C. DeVito MD, Duke University, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Duke University, Division of Medical Oncology
Abstract No.: CT184
Session Title: Phase I Clinical Trials
Session Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Session Time: 9:00AM – 12:00 PM PT / 12:00-3:00 PM ET
Location: Poster Section 50
Board No: 6

(Press release, Agenus, MAR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234663644])