CytomX Therapeutics Announces Nomination of Second Clinical Candidate in Broad PROBODY T-Cell Engaging Bispecific (TCB) Collaboration with Astellas

- Achievement of latest clinical candidate triggers additional $5 million milestone payment to CytomX and is the third milestone achieved in the collaboration to date -

- CytomX-retains US co-commercialization and economic rights for select programs -

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the achievement of a second clinical candidate nomination under the companies’ TCB collaboration with Astellas, triggering a $5 million milestone payment to CytomX. CytomX and Astellas are collaborating on multiple conditionally activated TCB programs with CytomX eligible to receive additional future preclinical, clinical and commercial milestones. CytomX retains a cost share and co-commercialization option on a select number of targets.

“The achievement of clinical candidate nomination for the second Probody TCB program in our broad collaboration with Astellas underscores our capabilities in the exciting field of conditionally activated, masked T-cell engaging bispecifics. T-cell engagers offer new possibilities for the treatment of solid tumors and the PROBODY platform may be ideally suited to realizing the potential of this modality,” said Sean McCarthy, D. Phil, chief executive officer and chairman of CytomX.

“At Astellas, immuno-oncology is a Primary Focus of our research and development strategy, and the rapidly advancing field of masked bispecific immune cell engagers holds tremendous promise for patients,” stated Peter Sandor, M.D., Senior Vice President and Primary Focus Lead, Immuno-Oncology. “We are delighted with the progress in our broad alliance in this area with CytomX and look forward to the continued collaboration successes as we expand our next-generation immuno-oncology therapeutic pipeline to address areas of high unmet medical need.”

About CytomX Therapeutics
CytomX is a clinical-stage, oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel conditionally activated biologics designed to be localized to the tumor microenvironment. By pioneering a novel pipeline of localized biologics, powered by its PROBODY therapeutic platform, CytomX’s vision is to create safer, more effective therapies for the treatment of cancer. CytomX’s robust and differentiated pipeline comprises therapeutic candidates across multiple treatment modalities including antibody-drug conjugates (“ADCs”), T-cell engagers, and immune modulators such as cytokines. CytomX’s clinical-stage pipeline includes CX-904, CX-2051 and CX-801. CX-904 is a conditionally activated T-cell-engaging antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on tumor cells and the CD3 receptor on T cells and partnered with Amgen in a global co-development alliance. CX-2051 is a conditionally activated ADC directed toward epithelial cell adhesion molecule, EpCAM, with potential applicability across multiple EpCAM-expressing epithelial cancers. CX-801 is an interferon alpha-2b PROBODY cytokine with broad potential applicability in traditionally immuno-oncology sensitive as well as insensitive (cold) tumors. CytomX has established strategic collaborations with multiple leaders in oncology, including Amgen, Astellas, Bristol Myers Squibb, Regeneron and Moderna. For more information about CytomX and how it is working to make conditionally activated treatments the new standard-of-care in the fight against cancer, visit www.cytomx.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).