Robinhood shares gain on Q2 beat, as user and crypto growth accelerate
LEXINGTON, Mass./SAN FRANCISCO - Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN), whose stock has surged nearly 74% over the past six months to $5.14, and Noetik announced a research collaboration Tuesday to develop predictive biomarkers for Agenus’ immunotherapy combination of botensilimab and balstilimab. InvestingPro data shows the biotech company has attracted positive attention, with two analysts recently revising their earnings estimates upward.
The partnership will utilize Noetik’s OCTO virtual cell model, a 1.5 billion parameter AI foundation model trained on multimodal data from nearly 200 million tumor and immune cells. This technology will analyze clinical results to identify which patients are most likely to benefit from the treatment. With a market capitalization of $141 million, Agenus is positioning itself at the intersection of AI and biotechnology, though InvestingPro analysis indicates the company faces near-term challenges with cash burn and profitability.
Botensilimab, an Fc-enhanced anti-CTLA-4 antibody, and balstilimab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, have been evaluated in more than 1,200 patients across nine tumor types. The combination has shown responses in tumors considered resistant to existing immunotherapies.
"Enhancing clinical efficacy is the most important problem in developing new medicines, and exactly what we’ve trained our foundation models to do," said Ron Alfa, CEO and Co-Founder of Noetik.
Garo Armen, Chairman and CEO of Agenus, stated that the collaboration would help "better understand patient biology and tailor treatments more precisely."
The partnership aligns with growing momentum toward AI-enabled precision medicine in oncology. The companies aim to develop clear biomarkers that can predict treatment outcomes and classify patient groups who may benefit most from the therapy.
Under the agreement, Agenus will have exclusive rights to apply these insights in its drug development and commercialization efforts.
The collaboration builds on a 2024 Cancer Discovery study that elucidated botensilimab’s immune activation mechanisms in refractory tumors.
This information is based on a press release statement from the companies. Investors anticipating Agenus’s next earnings report on August 12, 2025, can access comprehensive analysis and additional insights through InvestingPro, which offers exclusive ProTips and detailed financial metrics for informed investment decisions.
In other recent news, Agenus Inc. has announced a strategic collaboration with Zydus Lifesciences, valued at approximately $141 million, to expedite the development of two cancer immunotherapies, botensilimab and balstilimab. As part of the agreement, Agenus will transfer its biologics CMC facilities in California to Zydus for an upfront payment of $75 million, with potential additional payments of up to $50 million based on production orders. This partnership also includes a strategic equity investment by Zydus, purchasing approximately 2.1 million shares of Agenus at $7.50 per share, representing an 81% premium. H.C. Wainwright analysts upgraded Agenus stock from Neutral to Buy, highlighting the strategic collaboration’s potential impact. Additionally, Agenus reported a net loss of $26.4 million for the first quarter of 2025, a significant improvement from the $63.5 million loss in the same period the previous year, with revenue reaching $24.1 million. The company is on track to cut its annual operational cash burn below $50 million in the second half of 2025. The collaboration with Zydus aims to leverage Agenus’s research capabilities alongside Zydus’s manufacturing expertise, particularly in the Indian market. The transaction is expected to finalize within 60 days, subject to customary closing conditions.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.