CytoDyn Presents New Leronlimab Data in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer at AACR Annual Meeting 2026

On April 20, 2026 CytoDyn Inc. (OTCQB: CYDY) ("CytoDyn" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage oncology company advancing leronlimab, a first-in-class humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the CCR5 receptor with therapeutic potential across multiple indications, including metastatic triple-negative breast cancer ("mTNBC") and colorectal cancer ("mCRC"), reported that new clinical and translational data in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) were presented at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026, taking place April 17–22, 2026, at the San Diego Convention Center.

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The presentation highlighted emerging evidence supporting CCR5 inhibition with leronlimab as a strategy to modulate the tumor microenvironment, enhance immune responsiveness, and improve outcomes in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC).

Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer remains an aggressive disease with limited treatment options and poor long-term survival. While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated benefit in select patients, many tumors exhibit low PD-L1 expression and resistance to immunotherapy. Preclinical and clinical findings presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) show that CCR5 inhibition with leronlimab modulates immune checkpoint signaling, potentially sensitizing tumors to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

"Our findings suggest that CCR5 plays a key role in immune exhaustion and therapy resistance pathways in TNBC," said Richard G. Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., FRCP, AO, Lead Consultant in Preclinical and Clinical Oncology at CytoDyn. "Induction of PD-L1 predicts response to immune checkpoint therapy. Leronlimab-mediated CCR5 inhibition induced PD-L1 expression and reduced key mediators of immune suppression, including sB7-H3 and sTyro3 signaling. These data support the hypothesis that leronlimab may help prime tumors for immune checkpoint therapy and improve clinical outcomes in patients with otherwise limited therapeutic options."

Key findings from baseline tumor biology and leronlimab treatment analysis in TNBC include:

Across breast cancer cohorts (N=1,096), CCR5 expression correlated with gene signatures of T-cell immune exhaustion and immune infiltration.
CCR5 expression was enriched in TNBC subtypes associated with immune modulation, including mesenchymal-like immune-altered (MLIA) and immunomodulatory (IM) subtypes.
In TNBC cell models, CCR5 inhibition with leronlimab increased PD-L1 expression, suggesting a potential mechanism to enhance responsiveness to PD-L1-targeted therapies.
Proteomic analyses demonstrated that CCR5 activity promotes expression of immune checkpoint mediators, including sB7-H3 (CD276) and Tyro3 signaling, both associated with resistance to ICIs; these effects were attenuated with leronlimab.
In a retrospective analysis of 28 patients with mTNBC, leronlimab treatment was associated with induction of PD-L1 in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cancer-associated macrophage-like cells (CAMLs).
Higher leronlimab dose, PD-L1 induction, and use in combination or sequence with ICIs were associated with improved patient survival outcomes.
Notably, 17.9% (5/28) of heavily pretreated patients remain alive after more than 60 months of follow-up.

"These results reinforce the potential role of CCR5 as a critical regulator of the tumor microenvironment in TNBC," said Jacob P. Lalezari, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of CytoDyn. "The observed induction of PD-L1 and association with long-term survival in mTNBC support continued clinical development of leronlimab in combination approaches designed to enhance immune response and overcome treatment resistance."

Dr Pestell is the first author of the poster presentation titled "Leronlimab induces PD-L1 expression and is associated with long term survival with an ICI in PD-L1 low metastatic TNBC" on April 19, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT (Poster #1033). A copy of the poster will be made available on CytoDyn’s website under the Publications & Posters section.

(Press release, CytoDyn, APR 20, 2026, View Source [SID1234664583])

Orion Pharma’s ODM-212 Granted Orphan Drug Designation in Mesothelioma by the US FDA

On April 20, 2026 Orion Corporation (Orion Pharma) reported that its investigational drug ODM-212 has received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mesothelioma, which is a rare and difficult to treat cancer. The FDA grants orphan drug designation to investigational therapies addressing rare diseases or conditions that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the US.

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ODM-212 is an oral small-molecule pan-TEAD (Transcriptional Enhanced Associate Domain) inhibitor being tested in a Phase 2 clinical study (TEADES) for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) and other solid tumors with dysfunction in Hippo pathway. The trial includes patients who have progressed after receiving standard treatments and have no further treatment options. The primary endpoints of the study are safety and tolerability with secondary endpoints including Overall Response Rate, Progression Free Survival and Overall Survival. This is a global trial conducted at leading oncology centers in the US and Europe.

"Receiving orphan drug designation for mesothelioma is an important milestone for the ODM-212 program. It underscores the importance of developing urgently needed innovative therapies for patients living with mesothelioma" said Praveen Aanur, MD, MPH, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Oncology Therapy Area, Orion Pharma.

About Orphan Drug Designation
Orphan Drug Designation is granted by FDA to therapies intended to prevent, diagnose, or treat rare diseases or conditions. With this designation for ODM-212, Orion Pharma, the sponsor, is now qualified for incentives including tax credits, exepmption from user fees, and eligibility for a 7-year period of market exclusivity following approval. Orphan Drug Designation neither shortens the development time or regulatory review time of a drug nor gives the drug any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process.

About ODM-212
ODM-212 is an oral small-molecule pan-TEAD (Transcriptional Enhanced Associate Domain) inhibitor developed by Orion Pharma. It targets the Hippo signaling pathway, which regulates cell growth and organ size. Dysregulation of this pathway—particularly through YAP/TAZ activation—can lead to uncontrolled tumor growth and resistance to cancer therapies. ODM-212 works by blocking TEAD transcription factors, disrupting YAP-TEAD protein-protein interactions, and inhibiting TEAD auto-palmitoylation, which is essential for TEAD activity.

(Press release, Orion, APR 20, 2026, View Source [SID1234664582])

Lirum Therapeutics Announces Positive LX-101 Data Selected for Presentation at the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting

On April 20, 2026 Lirum Therapeutics, Inc. ("Lirum"), an innovative clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of debilitating diseases, reported that new LX-101 data in Ewing sarcoma has been selected for presentation at the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, being held from April 17-22 in San Diego. LX-101 is a novel clinical-stage payload-bearing targeted therapy directed to the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R), currently being developed in oncology and autoimmune indications.

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These new data demonstrated LX-101’s potent antitumor activity as a single agent in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of Ewing sarcoma, with additional activity, including synergy, when used in combination with PI3K or mTOR inhibition. The presentation concluded that LX-101 demonstrated improved preclinical activity relative to previously reported IGF-1R-targeting approaches. The observed single-agent activity and synergy with PI3K and mTOR inhibitors support further clinical development of LX-101 and LX-101-based combination strategies. The results will be presented by Roberto Cardenas-Zuniga, a member of the research team in the lab of Joseph Ludwig, M.D., at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Lirum’s collaborator on this project.

Presentation Details

Abstract#: 7873
Title: In Vivo Preclinical Efficacy of a Novel "Payload-Bearing" Peptide LX-101 Targeting IGF-1R in Ewing Sarcoma
Date/Time: April 22, 2026 – 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT
Session Title: PO.CL06.03 – Targeted Therapies, Predispositions, and Survivorship in Pediatric Cancers
Lirum also recently announced a "Study May Proceed" letter from the FDA enabling the inclusion of LX-101 in the RAPID platform clinical trial. RAPID (Rapidly Assess Promising Innovative Drugs) is a patient-centric, multicenter, open-label platform trial led by Joseph Ludwig, M.D., professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. RAPID employs a master protocol that enables the study of both single-agent and novel drug combinations in patients with relapsed/refractory Ewing sarcoma and desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT).

About Ewing Sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive cancer that primarily develops in the bones or surrounding soft tissues, most commonly affecting children, adolescents and young adults. ES is the second most common bone cancer in children in the US. Notably, Ewing sarcoma has strong ties to IGF-1R signaling pathway, including DNA-level gene fusions (i.e., EWSR1-FLI1) that affect IGF-1R signaling, providing a strong scientific and clinical rationale for LX-101 in this indication. Current treatments are limited to a combination of chemotherapy, surgical removal of the tumors and sometimes radiation therapy.

(Press release, Lirum Therapeutics, APR 20, 2026, View Source [SID1234664581])

BBOT Granted U.S. FDA Fast Track Designation for BBO-11818 for the Treatment of Adult Patients with Advanced KRAS-Mutant Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

On April 20, 2026 BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics, Inc. ("BBOT") (Nasdaq: BBOT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on RAS-pathway malignancies, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to BBO-11818 for the treatment of adult patients with advanced KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

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"Receiving Fast Track designation from the FDA for BBO-11818 in KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma reflects the importance and urgency of accelerating the development of our pan-KRAS inhibitor in this serious disease," said Yong Ben, MD, Chief Medical and Development Officer of BBOT. "Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most difficult-to-treat malignancies. KRAS mutations are present in the vast majority of cases, yet patients have had few targeted options. This designation will help us collaborate closely with the FDA to advance BBO-11818 as efficiently as possible for patients who need new options."

This designation follows preliminary data, first released in January 2026, in which BBO-11818 monotherapy demonstrated a confirmed partial response in pancreatic cancer. In addition, anti-tumor activity was observed across dose levels and tumor types with tumor reductions at higher dose levels with a generally favorable, differentiated safety profile in dose escalation.

While KRASG12C inhibitors have demonstrated promising clinical efficacy, there remains a clear unmet medical need for therapies targeting cancers that carry other KRAS mutations, such as KRASG12D and KRASG12V. BBO-11818 was developed to address this gap and is specifically designed as a potent pan-KRAS inhibitor with strong binding affinity for KRAS, high selectivity over HRAS and NRAS, and the ability to achieve high levels of KRAS inhibition in both the ON and OFF states. BBO-11818 is being evaluated as monotherapy, in combination with standard-of-care therapies, or alongside BBOT’s RAS:PI3Kα breaker, BBO-10203.

Fast Track designation is intended to help rapidly advance the development and review process for promising therapeutic candidates for serious conditions that may fill an unmet medical need.

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. In addition, it potently suppresses MAPK signaling and inhibits cell proliferation in KRAS-mutant cell lines. 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.

(Press release, BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics, APR 20, 2026, View Source [SID1234664580])

Junshi Biosciences Presents Results from JS207 (PD-1/VEGF BsAb) Phase 2 Combo Studies and JS212 (EGFR/HER3 ADC) FIH Phase 1/2 Study at AACR 2026

On April 20, 2026 Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd (Junshi Biosciences, HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180), a leading innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapies, reported that early clinical results from four studies across its innovative pipeline were presented at the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, featuring: the recombinant humanized anti-EGFR/HER3 bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) JS212, the anti-PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody JS207, and the anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody JS007.

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Dr. Jianjun ZOU, General Manager and CEO of Junshi Biosciences, said, "At this year’s AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, we reported not only two combination therapy datasets for our bispecific antibody, JS207, but also first-in-human results for the bispecific ADC, JS212. Their results demonstrated highly encouraging clinical profiles. As cornerstone assets under our Immuno-Oncology 2.0 (IO 2.0) strategy, these novel therapies have exceptional development potential. Their enhanced efficacy, activity against treatment-resistant populations, and broad-spectrum antitumor coverage position them as our next-generation flagship products. We are accelerating proof-of-concept clinical studies to identify optimal indications and deliver superior treatment options to patients."

#CT159: Preliminary results from a phase 2 study evaluating JS207 in combination with JS007 as first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

The Phase 2 study (NCT06954467) aiming to evaluate the safety and efficacy of JS207 in combination with JS007 included a safety run-in period and a randomized expansion phase, which enrolled patients with unresectable or metastatic HCC who had not previously received any systemic anticancer therapy.

As of March 20, 2026, a total of 26 patients had received JS207 plus JS007, including 7 patients in the safety run-in period and 19 patients in the randomized expansion phase.

Among the 22 evaluable patients, the objective response rate (ORR) reached 45.5% while the disease control rate (DCR) was 86.4%.
JS207 plus JS007 was well-tolerated, with no dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) observed during the safety run-in period.

Preliminary findings from the study demonstrate that JS207 combined with JS007 exhibits encouraging synergistic efficacy and favorable tolerability as first-line treatment for advanced HCC. Patient enrollment continues to progress smoothly, potentially offering a novel therapeutic approach for advanced HCC patients.

#CT152: Preliminary results from a phase 2 study evaluating JS207 in combination with chemotherapy as first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC)

This Phase 2 study (NCT06885385) evaluates the preliminary safety and efficacy of JS207 in combination with XELOX (capecitabine + oxaliplatin) as first-line therapy for mCRC. The study enrolled patients with mCRC who had not previously received systemic antitumor therapy for metastatic disease, or whose disease recurred/progressed at least 12 months after their last neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy.

Patients received JS207 at 10 mg/kg combined with the XELOX regimen (oxaliplatin 130 mg/m² IV, d1 + capecitabine 1000 mg/m², BID, d1-14) every 3 weeks until disease progression or intolerable toxicity.

As of January 13, 2026, 32 patients had been enrolled and received JS207 plus XELOX, including 9 in the safety run-in phase and 23 in the dose-expansion phase.

Among the 31 efficacy-evaluable patients, 22 achieved a partial response (PR) and 8 achieved stable disease (SD), resulting in an ORR of 71.0% and a DCR of 96.8%.
Due to the relatively short follow-up duration, median progression-free survival (PFS) and median duration of response (DoR) have not yet been reached, and the longest duration of response remained ongoing at 8 months.
JS207 was well-tolerated overall, with no DLTs observed during the safety run-in period.

The study demonstrates that JS207 combined with chemotherapy exhibits promising antitumor activity and a favorable safety profile as first-line treatment for mCRC. These findings suggest that dual-target immunotherapy (anti-PD-1/VEGF) plus chemotherapy holds significant potential in immunologically cold tumors, providing critical clinical evidence for immuno-combination therapy as first-line treatment of mCRC.

#1715: Preclinical evaluation of JS212

Preclinical studies of JS212 (EGFR/HER3 bsAb) demonstrate high binding affinity to tumor cells expressing EGFR and/or HER3, exhibiting superior broad-spectrum antitumor activity, favorable tolerability, and optimal pharmacokinetic profiles. In multiple cell-derived xenograft (CDX) models, JS212 showed enhanced antitumor efficacy compared to the benchmark agent. Notably, it demonstrated efficacy in osimertinib-resistant, patritumab deruxtecan-resistant, and BL-B01D1-resistant CDX models.

#CT128: Preliminary results from JS212’s first-in-human (FIH) phase 1/2 study in advanced solid tumors

This FIH phase 1/2 study (NCT06888830) was designed to assess the safety, tolerability, PK, and preliminary efficacy of JS212 in patients with advanced solid tumors. It comprised dose escalation and expansion and clinical expansion. As of March 26, 2026, a total of 63 patients have been enrolled.

JS212 was administered every three weeks. The treatment was well-tolerated, and the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was not reached.
Responses were observed at the 1.8 mg/kg cohort and above.
In the 4.2 mg/kg and 4.6 mg/kg dose cohorts, ORR reached 44.4% and 50.0% respectively, with a DCR of 100.0% in both groups. The median DoR has not yet been reached.
An ORR of 50.0% was observed in HER2-negative breast cancer and 38.9% in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

JS212 monotherapy exhibits encouraging efficacy across a range of dose levels (as low as 1.8 mg/kg) with favorable tolerability in advanced solid tumors, indicating promising development potential. Further exploration of JS212 in multiple indications and combination strategies are ongoing.

About JS207

JS207, a recombinant humanized anti-PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody, was independently developed by Junshi Biosciences for the treatment of advanced malignant tumors. To date, JS207 has been approved for conducting phase 2/3 clinical study, and it has 11 ongoing phase 2 clinical studies, exploring its use in combination with chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, ADCs and other drugs in NSCLC, colorectal cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, liver cancer and other tumor types. Preclinical results of JS207 have been published in Frontiers in Immunology, while early-stage clinical data were first presented in a poster session at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) ASIA 2025.

JS207 can simultaneously bind to PD-1 and VEGFA with high affinity, effectively blocking the binding of PD-1 to PD-L1 and PD-L2 while also inhibiting the binding of VEGF to its receptor. JS207 has the efficacy of both immunotherapeutic drugs and anti-angiogenic drugs. Through the neutralization of VEGF, JS207 inhibits the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells, improves the tumor microenvironment, and increases the infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment, thereby achieving better anti-neoplasm activity.

JS207’s design is based on the high-affinity, clinically proven and differentiated anti-PD-1 drug, toripalimab as the backbone. The anti-PD-1 moiety of JS207 adopts a Fab structure to maintain binding affinity to PD-1, thereby attaining better enrichment in the tumor microenvironment. The anti-VEGF moiety has a binding affinity for human vascular endothelial growth factor that is comparable to that of bevacizumab. In non-clinical in vitro cytological tests, compared with the combination of an anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibody and a VEGF monoclonal antibody, a bispecific antibody simultaneously targeting PD-1/PD-L1 and VEGF demonstrated significantly enhanced PD-1 antigen binding and internalization, as well as synergistic enhancement of the NFAT signaling pathway, thereby better activating immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.

About JS007

JS007 is a recombinant humanized anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody developed independently by Junshi Biosciences that is mainly aimed at treating advanced cancer.

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) is an important receptor on the T cell surface that modulates immune response. Studies show that JS007 is able to specifically bind to CTLA-4 and effectively block the interaction between CTLA-4 and its ligand B7 (CD80 or CD86), thereby activating the T-lymphocyte and inhibiting tumor growth.

About JS212

JS212 is a recombinant humanized EGFR and HER3 bispecific ADC that is mainly used for the treatment of advanced malignant solid tumors. EGFR and HER3 are highly expressed in a variety of cancers, such as lung cancer, breast cancer and head and neck cancer etc. There is interaction in the signaling pathways between EGFR and HER3, and they jointly facilitate the proliferation, survival, migration and angiogenesis of tumor cells. In addition, HER3 is involved in the drug-resistance mechanisms of various anti-tumor drugs (including EGFR-targeted drugs, chemotherapy, etc.). Compared to single-target ADC drugs, JS212 can suppress tumors by binding to both EGFR and HER3, and may be effective on a wider range of tumors and overcome drug resistance.

According to preclinical studies, JS212’s high affinity and specific binding to EGFR and HER3 resulted in a significant anti-tumor effect in various animal models. JS212 also maintained a favorable and acceptable safety profile.

To date, an open-label, dose-escalation and dose-expansion phase 1/2 clinical trial of JS212 is underway in Chinese Mainland. The study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary efficacy of JS212 in patients with advanced solid tumors. In addition, the clinical trial application for JS212 as a multi-cohort combined drug was approved by the National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA) in November 2025. The phase 2 clinical trial evaluating JS207 in combination with JS212 is underway. In December 2025, the investigational new drug (IND) application for JS212 for the treatment of advanced solid tumors was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

(Press release, Shanghai Junshi Bioscience, APR 20, 2026, View Source [SID1234664579])